Forbidden Love
by DrakkenFan
Summary: When the forbidden love between an Altmer noblewoman and a Bosmer ambassador leads to pregnancy, the two must flee Summerset Isle to protect the life of their unborn child. Takes place during the time of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Now COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The clip-clop sound of the horse's hoofs filled Loac's ears as the carriage made it's way through the Summerset Isle capital city of Alinor. Multicolored beams of light filtered down from the colored glass windows of the stone towers above, draping the cobblestone street in a thousand vibrant colors. Loac relaxed in her silk-lined seat and glanced out the open carriage window. As the horse carriage slowly pulled to a stop she looked upward at the large gray building in front of her. She'd never seen the Valenwood embassy before. In fact her father, the High Wizard king of Alinor, had been shocked by her decision to work at the embassy of the Bosmer people.

The day she first heard of the job opening, her father had introduced yet another young aristocrat as a suitor to her. Like every other traditional Altmer of Summerset Isle, the young man was snobbish and simply wanted to marry Loac because of her wealth and high position. The suitors cared only for their status in society and cared nothing for her. The Altmer, or High-Elves as humans called them, considered themselves to be the most superior and perfect race on Nirn. Everything the Altmeri people did was an effort to gain status, superiority, and boasting rights. In every house and every street was perfection, etiquette, and order. Loac had always been taught to use the strict manners and orderly way of life her culture was known for. Over the years, however, she'd grown disillusioned with her people. She longed to meet people of other races despite the fact she had always been told they were inferior. Loac kept these feelings a secret, because such deviant thoughts were viewed as "mental illness" and a sign of inferiority by her race.

Aside from the fact that the suitors were snobs who didn't care about her, the main reason she didn't want to marry was the practice of culling. In Altmer society, when a woman gave birth, a Mer called a "culler" would be present to measure and examine the newborn child. If the child was not perfect in every way, the culler would use destruction magic to kill it. Over half of all newborn Altmer were killed in that fashion. It was the way the Altmer maintained perfection among their race, and how they managed to gain such beauty and healthy longevity. Loac secretly thought that the practice of culling was horrible, and she knew that if she married it would lead to pregnancy. She didn't want to bear children and watch them die, but rebelling against culling could lead to exile. Her only option was to tactically postpone marriage for as long as possible.

When faced with the prospect of eager suitors following her around, Loac finally asked her father to let her work. Her father procured various documents listing government job openings, and there it was- Personal Assistant to the Bosmer Ambassador of Valenwood. Loac immediately grabbed the paper and read over the job description eagerly.

"You cannot be serious", her father sneered, "Why would you want to work alongside those unsophisticated barbaric tree-huggers?"

"Father, shouldn't I be allowed to choose my own place of employment?" asked Loac.

High Wizard Warundil's face grew stern, "They shouldn't even have an embassy at all. Their so-called 'province' of Valenwood is nothing but a wasteland of trees with only one good road. And the only reason why they have that road at all, is because our people graciously built it for them and continue to maintain it. The Bosmer can hardly even be considered people, with the way they live in huts and practice cannibalism. I do not want my daughter to be infected by their bizarre culture. Perhaps you would prefer to work in the treasury instead?"

However, Loac would not back down, and her father finally acquiesced halfheartedly into permitting her to work at the Bosmer embassy.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The doorman promptly swung open the door of the carriage and Loac stepped out. The wind whipped at her long brown hair as she tied it up into a traditional folded bun. Scents of a nearby fancy restaurant wafted through the air, and gray birds scurried around the ground at Loac's feet. She briskly walked up the steps to the embassy, and with an air of faked professionalism, showed her official working papers to the Altmer door guard. The armored guard swung open the great oaken door and gestured politely for her to enter.

Upon entering the embassy, Loac paused in the doorway replacing her stoic professional face with a slight look of surprise. Sitting behind a wooden table in the entry hall was unmistakably a Bosmeri man. It was the first time Loac had ever seen a member of another race. He had ponytailed straight blonde hair and the longest elven ears she had ever seen. Upon his back was a small bone bow and a quiver of green glass arrows. He greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Ah... you must be Loac, the honorable High Wizard's daughter, " spoke the Bosmer clerk.

"Yes, I...", Loac paused as the Bosmer stood up to greet her. She once heard that Bosmer were short, but never in her life had she imagined a man could be nearly two feet shorter than her. She was 6 feet 8 inches, which was standard for her tall race. The Bosmer clerk looked to be under 5 feet tall.

When Loac didn't finish what she started to say, the Bosmer broke the silence and said, "Come, I'll take you to meet the ambassador. You'll be working in his office."

They walked up the winding wooden flight of stairs to the second storey of the building. A long hallway lined with offices led to a wooden door that the clerk softly knocked on.

"Please come in", gently spoke a man's voice from inside.

The clerk swung open the door, and Loac was greeted by the ambassador.

He firmly shook her hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Loac. I'm Ambassador Falinir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ambassador", replied Loac.

The ambassador was an older middle-aged man in his late forties. He was shorter than the already short Bosmer clerk by at least two inches. His thick wavy black hair was slightly thinning at the crown, and he was also fairly overweight, a trait strongly frowned upon by Loac's Altmer culture. In fact, he was the living embodiment of all the physical and cultural traits her people looked down upon. Loac smiled. She had finally met someone who didn't follow the strict rules of Altmer society.

After the clerk left, Ambassador Falinir showed Loac to her desk. Log books detailing trades and building contracts between Valenwood and Summerset Isle were neatly stacked on the desk. There was a leather-bound book listing all Bosmer travelers to the island over the past 10 years. Another book listed immigration procedures for Valenwood. Finally, at the bottom of the pile was a book listing Bosmer permanent immigrants to Summerset Isle and their locations. That book held only one page, no doubt due to the Altmer intolerance towards other races. In fact, the capital city did not even allow other races to enter past the port for fear of them "infecting" the perfect Altmer society. Only those working in the foreign embassies were allowed entrance into the city. Even then the embassies had to submit to having several Altmer employees to keep an eye on them. Loac was thankful that at least she wasn't sent to the embassy as one of the spies for the city government.

"When I asked for a secretary to help with my paperwork, I never imagined the daughter of the great High Wizard of Alinor would take on the job," said the ambassador, "It is truely an honor."

"Please just treat me as you would treat any other employee", said Loac.

Falinir smiled at Loac's humble demeanor. Any other Altmer noblewoman would have used their status with arrogant pride. He could tell right away that Loac was different.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Throughout Loac's first morning at the embassy she was shown around the building and introduced to the other employees. There were two other male Bosmer clerks working in the second storey offices, as well as an Altmer named Henantil in charge of supplies and the stock room. Henantil had access to every office as he brought them their daily mail, lunch, and occasional supplies. It was obvious, to Loac at least, that his real purpose there was to keep an eye on the Bosmeri as a spy. She immediately recognized him as one of the people her father spoke with regularly.

Midday approached and Henantil brought lunch to Loac and Ambassador Falinir. Falinir had a fine cut of unspiced mutton and a side of cheese. On Loac's plate was a smaller cut of mutton with a side of leek and onion soup.

"The restaurant across the street makes all our meals", said Falinir as he cut into his mutton.

"It's quite good", said Loac sipping her soup.

Silence ensued for a few moments until Falinir said, "You have a very unique sounding name, Loac. Does it have a meaning?"

"It means 'thirty' in the old Altmer tongue", said Loac, "When my parents named me, they followed the old tradition of using a number for my name, though hardly anyone does that anymore. Just another example of how traditional and old-fashioned my father is."

"Ah well, my name has no meaning at all", said Falinir, who was somewhat surprised to hear Loac openly speak ill of her very powerful father.

"You come from Valenwood, yes? What is it like there?", said Loac, unable to hide her curiosity about the Bosmer any longer.

"Well, it's very different from here. I grew up in the old capital city of Falinesti. It's built up in the branches of a giant tree that used to slowly move about the upper region of Valenwood."

"A city built in a giant moving tree?", Loac said. She could hardly imagine such an amazing thing.

"Well, it doesn't move any more. In fact it stopped moving before I was ever born. However, it still is quite a marvelous sight to see. It's a bit overwhelming to foreigners who didn't grow up there, though. They look terrified when they ride the basket up and walk along the wooden streets in branches 200 feet above the forest below. But the beauty and uniqueness of the city is truely worth the visit. The houses are all covered with moss roofs, and everything looks green and full of life. We have music festivals there every year, with some of the best musicians in all Valenwood", said Falinir, happy to reminisce about his homeland.

Loac smiled and said, "That sounds wonderful."

Falinir continued, "I also lived in the city of Silvenar, when I was a young adult. I worked in the palace of the silvenar, who's a government official with different duties than the clan chiefs in Falinesti. It was my work there that eventually trained me to become an ambassador. Silvenar is truely a unique place. The luminescent sap from the overhanging treetops makes the whole city look like it was built out of a rainbow. It's not like the reflections in the stained glass towers here in Alinor. In Silvenar, the houses themselves are carved out of the colorful sap. And the palace is built out of the spiraling petals of the largest flower in all Tamriel. It's a flower nearly four times the size of this building."

Loac gasped in amazement. Falinir's description of Valenwood was exotic and amazing. It sounded nothing at all like the "little huts for houses" her father spoke of. She wondered if the cannibalism comment her father made was a lie as well, but didn't want to insult Falinir by asking if his people ate eachother.

That evening as Loac rode the carriage home from her first day at work, she imagined the Bosmer people living freely in beautiful villages throughout Valenwood, not bound by the restrictions of Altmer society. Surrounded by free-growing nature and beauty, with friendly cheerful neighbors seemed an ideal life. She knew that someday, somehow, she would travel to Valenwood and experience it for herself, even if only for a short while.

The carriage pulled up to her father's grand estate and let Loac out. She strode into her house and joined her father at the dinner table.

"So, how was your first day at the embassy", asked her father.

"I'm very happy with my work there", replied Loac.

Her father looked displeased.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Weeks passed, and everyday Loac and Ambassador Falinir shared discussions about his homeland, her dislike of Altmer arrogance, and other topics that she could never discuss with her own people. He genuinely listened to what she had to say, and she felt that for once in her life she finally had someone whom she could have a real conversation with. Around Falinir, she could be herself, and not have to worry about acting like a proper Altmer noblewoman. He accepted her for who she really was. That acceptance and connection she felt with Falinir made her long to become closer to him. When he talked, she found herself looking at his lips wishing she could kiss him. She looked at his shoulder-length hair longing to caress it with her fingers. It's true he was far shorter than her, twice her age, slightly overweight, and didn't have the perfection of her own race. And it was exactly these imperfections she loved the most about him. He was real. Nothing he said was an act, or a way of showing off status. He was different and exciting, and best of all he truely cared about other people more than himself.

These new feelings were a bit of a surprise for Loac. Although she was twenty she had never experienced feelings like this for anybody, and did not know how to tell if he felt the same way about her. Interracial relationships were strictly against the law in all of Summerset Isle, and punished by permanent banishment and exile. Even mentioning attraction towards another race was cause enough for banishment, and would bring shame upon her father and everyone else in her family. The interracial children of Altmer women were considered deformed and killed to keep the Altmer race pure. Loac held her feelings inside, told no one, and wondered if anything would or should ever happen between her and Falinir.

About a month after Loac had been working in the embassy, Falinir left on a trip to the nearby city of Sunhold to arrange a trade agreement between Valenwood and Summerset Isle. Summerset Isle was suffering a shortage of livestock after a flood struck the northern plains, and needed to import vast shipments of new livestock to increase their herds. The Orcs also fiercly sought the trade contract, and Falinir would have to use his good negotiation skills to win it for Valenwood. Loac organized papers in Falinir's empty office and wondered how he was doing in the negotiations. A good trade contract could bring alot of wealth to the people of Valenwood.

The next afternoon when Falinir walked into the embassy with a smile and a bottle of celebratory drink, Loac knew he had succeeded.

"The Orcs never stood a chance of winning that contract", laughed one of the Bosmer clerks while he sipped his drink.

"Congratulations to Ambassador Falinir!", said another clerk as he lifted his glass.

Falinir held out a glass to Loac and said, "Would you like to try some warm Rotmeth? It's a bit strong, but I thought you might like to try a real traditional Bosmeri drink. One of the Valenwood trading company representatives at the meeting gave it to me after I won the contract for them."

Loac lifted the silver glass to her lips and sipped the warm brown drink. It tasted like meat juice mixed with hard liquor. It wasn't delicious, but she finished her glass. She felt a little bit drunk after drinking it, and hoped her father wouldn't notice when she went home after the celebration.

The next day, Loac and Falinir were working on paperwork in Falinir's office as normal. They did not even hear the sound of the large oaken door in the front of the building being kicked down. Nor did they hear the sound of the blonde Bosmer clerk in the entry hall being strangled to death, and his bow stolen. It was only when the Orc assassin pounded open the door to Falinir's office that Loac realized their lives were in danger.

"I lost my job because of you taking that trading contract away from me!", shouted the angry drunken Orc.

The Orc stood in the doorway, raised his stolen bow and aimed the glass arrow at Falinir's head.

"No!" shouted Loac, as she jumped in front of the Bosmer she secretly loved. The arrow struck her hard in the stomach and blood trickled down the front of her dress.

The Orc didn't have time to string another shot before both of the Bosmer clerks who worked in the second storey offices had riddled him full of arrows of their own.

Falinir caught Loac as she fell to the ground. He layed her down on the rug and ordered his clerks to bring the healers. She silently slipped into unconsciousness from the blood loss before she could say a word.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Loac awoke she looked around at her strange surroundings. Falinir was sitting next to her in one of the rooms provided by the healers at the Alinor's chapel to Stendarr.

"Are you alright?" asked Loac weakly.

Falinir was startled and delighted to hear her speak.

"You were the one struck by an arrow, and you're asking me if I'm alright?", chuckled Falinir, "You really had me worried. You've been unconscious for almost three days."

Loac smiled shyly as she looked at Falinir's cheerful face. She was happy to see she had saved him, and even happier to see he cared enough to be there by her bedside during her injury.

"You're a very courageous young woman, Loac", said Ambassador Falinir, "I can't thank you enough for what you did. You saved my life by risking your own."

"It was nothing", said Loac bashfully.

"Nothing?! By the Nine! I've never seen anyone brave enough to jump in front of an arrow like that. Why did you do it? You could have died," said Falinir.

"Well..." said Loac in a weak voice.

She reached out and held his hand, caressing his fingers.

"Oh", said Falinir nervously with the sudden realization of what she meant.

Suddenly footsteps approached the door. Loac quickly let go of Falinir's hand before the door opened. High Wizard Warundil stepped into the small room. He gave Falinir a look of contempt and asked him to leave.

"Yes, High Wizard," said Falinir obediantly. He left and closed the door behind him.

"Loac, I'm so happy to see you're awake", said Warundil, "I ordered the best healers in Summerset Isle to assist in your recovery."

"Thank you, Father," said Loac.

He set a new book and a vase of yellow flowers on the table by her bedside.

"Is it true you jumped in front of an arrow to save the ambassador?" asked Warundil.

"Yes, I...", began Loac.

"What were you thinking?! Risking your life to save a Bosmer! Have you gone mad?!" said Warundil, "Has working with those damned Wood-Elves affected your mind? You are a bright girl with a bright future. You almost lost all of that."

"Father...", said Loac.

"I don't want you working there any more", said Warundil sternly.

"For once in my life I've found something I enjoy, and you would take my work away from me?" said Loac, "The Bosmer have not affected my mind. I'm the same person I've always been! Please allow me to return to my work. I beg of you, Father, please."

Loac's father contemplated his daughter's words. He did want her to be happy, yet, at the same time he felt she was in real danger. After a pause of silence, he decided on his answer.

"Very well. Once you've recovered, you can return to your work at the embassy. But I will place three guards at the door to ensure it is safe," said Warundil reluctantly.

"Oh thank you, Father", said Loac with a smile returning to her face.

"But it's not just your safety that concerns me", said Warundil, "I don't want you to start acting like those unsophisticated Bosmer you work with. If I see any sign of that happening at all, you will quit. Is that understood?"

"Of course", said Loac.

After her father left, Loac could hear him tell the healers not to allow any guests to visit her.

Over the next two weeks, Loac stayed in the recovery room at the chapel while the healers treated her wound with daily regimens of restoration magic and healing potions. Loac's father visited her for a short while every day, but no other guests came. During her lonely recovery, Loac's could think of only one thing. She wondered what Falinir thought of her. His ambiguous "Oh" after she caressed his hand didn't really tell her anything. She longed to see him again more than anything.

After seventeen long days of treatment, the day finally came when her wound was completely healed. She went back home with her father that afternoon, content to know that she would see Falinir again when she went to the embassy the next morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Loac felt nervous during the carriage ride to the embassy. She didn't know what she was going to say to Falinir. After all the time she had spent wishing to see him, she now felt overwhelmed by the fear of rejection. The morning sun shone bright into her eyes as she walked up the stairs to the embassy. Just as her father said, there were now three guards at the front door. This time the guards were fully armed with swords, and equipped with sturdy elven armor. It was a vast improvement over the unarmed guard they had earlier.

Loac stepped inside, and was greeted by a new unfamiliar face. A young Altmer man had been hired to work as the new clerk in the entry hall.

"It's nice to meet you", said Loac, "If you don't mind my asking, where is the blonde Bosmer clerk who used to work here?"

"You're refering to Shinlorn? He's dead", said the Altmer matter-of-factly, "An Orc killed him. It was the same Orc that injured you."

Loac gasped. No one had even told her. She felt sorry for the young Bosmer clerk, and wondered if his family back in Valenwood knew of his death yet. She solemnly walked up the stairs and was greeted by the two Bosmer clerks who had killed the Orc.

"Welcome back!", one of them said.

"Glad to see you're well again!", said the other with a cheerful smile.

"I never got a chance to thank you two for killing that Orc", said Loac, "You saved both me and the ambassador."

"I only wish we had stopped the Orc before he injured you", said the brown-haired clerk.

Henantil the spy walked into the hallway carrying the mail. He had a dour expression as usual, but smiled as he welcomed Loac back to the office.

Loac reached the end of the hallway and finally stepped inside Ambassador Falinir's office. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

"Loac! Welcome back!", said Falinir with a grin, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

Loac smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to be back."

"Here, I got you a little welcome back gift", said Falinir, and he handed her a box of rare imported cheeses.

"Thank you", said Loac, "It looks wonderful."

As Loac began her paperwork, she occasionally glanced at Falinir, and noticed he was looking at her too.

When lunchtime came around Falinir asked, "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the restaurant instead of eating in the office."

"I'd love to", said Loac.

They stepped outside of the office together and walked across the crowded street. Falinir was carrying paperwork, and Loac wondered if he intended to work during lunch, or if it was just his way of looking professional to the restaurant employees. When they got to the restaurant, a sign hanging above the door said "Altmer only".

"Ah, I suppose this wasn't such a good idea", said Falinir.

Loac felt embarrassed for Falinir and ashamed that her people would post such a sign.

"You know, there's an outdoor cafe down the street. The food there is also quite nice," said Falinir.

When they arrived at the cafe and sat down, the waiter looked at Falinir with an arrogant sneer.

"What's on your menu today, good sir?", asked Falinir.

"Nothing a cannibal would be interested in, I'm certain", replied the waiter.

Falinir didn't seem to be bothered by the waiter's rude comment. He continued to smile pleasantly, and said, "I'd never think to ask for such a thing. Do you have any venison on the menu today?"

"We have roast boar today, with apples on the side", said the waiter.

"That will do then. Two plates of roast boar. Leave the apples and spices off of mine", said Falinir.

"Very well", replied the waiter reluctantly.

After the waiter stepped away Loac said, "That's the second time I've heard someone say that Bosmer are cannibals! I can't believe they actually think you would ever do such a thing."

"Of course I have", replied Falinir, "On several occasions."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Loac's jaw dropped open in a state of shock.

Falinir said, "All Bosmer are cannibals. I'm surprised you didn't know that. You know, I think Henantil gossiped to the waiters around here, and that's why the restaurants are giving me such a hard time. The day Shinlorn was killed by that Orc, Henantil walked into the entry hall and saw him cooking over the fireplace. All of the Bosmer in the embassy were gathered around with plates and silverware. Suffice it to say, Henantil was not pleased at all."

"You ate the blonde Bosmer clerk?" said Loac in even more of a state of shock.

Falinir calmly explained, "It's part of our religious beliefs to eat the dead. It's done out of respect, and out of our belief to not waste meat. Normally, his family would have eaten him, but in Shinlorn's case, it would've taken too long to ship him back to Valenwood. So Renlir, Harlorn, and I carried out the traditional funural rites in the embassy entrance hall."

"But doesn't it bother you... to eat a dead person?" asked Loac.

"Not at all. It actually tastes quite good. I've really never understood why other cultures are so bothered by it. I know most people find it odd that Bosmer eat their dead, but I think that the way other races bury their dead is a useless waste of the body. My people have faced famines on many occasions, and we were saved only by our willingness to eat the dead. And like I said, it is part of our religion. It's in the Green Pact, which was written for us by our patron god Y'ffre. We use the bones too for carvings, musical instruments, magical charms, and a variety of things. We Bosmer don't want our bodies to go to waste after our death, and out of respect for the dead and religious duty we find a use for every part of the body. When a Bosmer dies, he can be content in knowing that his body and bones will still serve a purpose for his family for years to come. It's a noble and honorable thing, even if other cultures don't view it that way," explained Falinir.

"Well I suppose it doesn't seem so strange to me now that you explained it," said Loac, "I'd never be able to eat a dead person, but I can understand the reasons why your people do it."

Falinir smiled. He hadn't expected an upperclass Altmer noblewoman like Loac to accept his culture's cannibalism, when even the Beastfolk races looked down upon it as barbaric. Yet again, she had surprised him with her open-minded personality. He looked across the table at her as they continued to talk. Everything about her was beautiful and elegant. Her eyes were a radiant shade of green, and her fair skin had not a single blemish. Her silky brown hair shimmered in the sunlight. She was kind, honest, and humble. The fact that she had been willing to be hit by an arrow to save Falinir's life stuck in his mind as the most selfless and courageous act he had ever witnessed. She could have her choice of any Altmer nobleman, and yet she was smitten with him. He longed to return her affections, but he felt held back by fear. The law assured they could never marry. If they became lovers and were caught, he shuddered to think of what her father would do to him. It could cost him his life. It was a very dangerous path to take, and he wasn't entirely sure of what he was doing.

While the waiter brought out their lunch, Falinir looked over the paperwork he brought with him and began discussing a recent treaty with Loac. He didn't want the waiter to think he was having lunch with Loac for any reason other than two co-workers discussing business.

After lunch, as they walked back to the embassy Loac continued to think about Falinir. The fact that his people had the funeral practice of cannibalism hadn't changed the way she felt about him. It was odd, but she could learn to accept it. She was overjoyed that he'd invited her to a cafe for lunch. He seemed to be showing subtle signs that he was interested in her. She felt happier today than any time she could ever remember.

While they walked up the stairs to the embassy, the wind blew some of Loac's hair loose from her bun. When she entered Falinir's office and stood by her desk, she began trying to fix her hair.

"I wonder what you'd look like with your hair down", said Falinir.

Loac released the tie that held her hair bun, and let her long hair fall naturally down to her upper back. Her hair was straight and shiny.

"Beautiful", said Falinir, gently touching her hair.

Loac was unable to resist her feelings any longer. She leaned downward and passionately kissed Falinir on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her, fervently returning the kiss. Their kiss lasted for several minutes, growing in passion with each passing moment. Falinir kissed up and down Loac's slender neck, and she arched her head back in pleasure.

"You know it's dangerous, what we're doing", whispered Falinir, "You could be exiled."

Loac gently licked Falinir's long pointed ears and whispered back, "It's worth it."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Weeks of pure bliss went by for Loac and Falinir. They made a habit of kissing occasionally, and found it easy to act normal if there was a knock on the door by one of the clerks. They never dared to do more than kiss, because such a thing could be easily noticed by the other people in the embassy. Falinir often wrote unsigned love letters to Loac and nearly everyday he had a new letter or poem for her, eloquently declaring his love. She kept them safely hidden in a locked chest, and read them over again before she went to bed each night. Falinir felt amazed that such a beautiful and kind-hearted mer loved him, and Loac was happy to finally have someone love her for who she was rather than her position in society.

One month after their first kiss, Loac went to the embassy and stepped into Falinir's office as usual. She closed the door behind her and greeted Falinir, before starting on her work. She had to write out copies of several documents to be sent to Valenwood. She carefully copied the documents in her best handwriting, while Falinir read over some new trade laws. Soon lunch approached and Henantil brought in plates of crab meat with butter from the "Altmer only" restaurant across the street. The crab was freshly brought in from the eastern coast of Summerset Isle, and was one of Loac's favorite dishes. After they finished their lunch, Loac walked over to Falinir and began giving him a back massage.

"I love it when you do that", said Falinir with a smile, as she slowly massaged his shoulders.

He turned to her and their lips met in a loving kiss. They held eachother in a tight embrace as Falinir deepened the kiss. Suddenly the door opened without a knock. Loac and Falinir parted their lips and turned to see Henantil standing speechless in the doorway. Henantil had an expression as if he had just witnessed the most disgusting thing he had ever seen in his life. A silent look of guilt and embarrassment crossed Loac's face as she stepped away from Falinir.

"Come in Henantil, and close the door behind you", ordered Falinir.

Henantil hesitated and then entered the room. He looked back and forth at Falinir and Loac with continued disgust.

"I cannot believe it", Henantil said as he closed the door, "Such filthy utter disregard for..."

"What do you want?" interrupted Falinir, "Look, I'll pay you..."

"I'll accept no bribe", sneered Henantil, "The High King has a right to know that his daughter is illegally doing repulsive acts with a Bosmer."

Loac looked through her purse and pulled out 70 gold septims which Henatil sneered at and refused. At the same time, Falinir walked over to the corner of the room and opened a secret corner of the floor. Inside the hidden compartment was a sturdy locked wooden chest. He procured a small silver key from his back pocket and quickly unlocked the chest. It was filled to the brim with nearly 12,000 gold septims. Falinir gathered them by the handful and put about a third of the gold coins into a blue woolen sack. Henantil's eyes widened with greed at the sight of that much gold. Falinir handed the sack to Henantil who eagerly accepted it.

"I saw nothing", said Henantil stepping out of the room. As he was about to leave, Henantil turned around and said, "Oh yes, I almost forgot. This is an urgent letter from the High Wizard of Skywatch."

Falinir accepted the letter and closed the door as Henantil left. On the envelope were the words "To Ambassador Falinir of Valenwood. Open Immediately". He took a bone-carved letter opener and broke the seal on the envelope. The letter read:

As the Ambassador of Valenwood, your immediate presence is required at the palace of the High Wizard of Skywatch for the writing of a new treaty regarding sea borders and the joined effort to end piracy on the seas between the provinces of Summerset Isle, Cyrodiil, and Valenwood. You may bring a clerk to accompany you to this important event, for note taking purposes. I have personally sent a horse-drawn coach to escort you and your clerk to Skywatch, and accomodations have been arranged for the duration of your stay.

Sincerely,

His Supreme Lordship the High Wizard Canato of Skywatch

Falinir set down the letter and looked at Loac. She still seemed troubled over Henantil.

"I cannot believe he took so much money", said Loac angrily. She hesitated, then added, "There's something you should know about Henantil."

"What is that?" asked Falinir.

"He's a spy. He works for my father", confessed Loac, "I've seen him meeting with my father on several occasions."

"I know that already", said Falinir, "I've seen his hidden notebooks in the stock room. I've known for years, but if I had fired Henantil, the High Wizard would've grown suspicious of me and that wasn't in my best interest. I've never had anything to hide until now. But let's forget about Henantil for the moment. I have a wonderful surprise for you."

"What?" asked Loac with an eager smile.

Falinir held out the letter to her and said, "How would you like to travel with me to the beautiful city of Skywatch?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Loac excitedly read the letter. She could be the clerk to accompany Falinir to Skywatch! She'd heard that Skywatch had the most beautiful beaches in all Summerset Isle. It was a popular vacation destination for people from all over Tamriel. Traveling there with Falinir sounded simply wonderful.

"I will have to get permission from my father first, of course," said Loac excitedly, "But I think he'll be pleased that I have the opportunity to be present during the forming of a treaty."

"The coach is already here, so we should leave first thing in the morning," said Falinir, "I hope you'll be able to go."

Loac finished her work for the day, and her horse carriage arrived as usual to take her home. When she reached her manor she saw a brand new Cheydinhal thoroughbred black horse tied outside. It looked very expensive, and she wondered if her father had just purchased it, or if there was a very wealthy guest at the house.

"I hope it's not a new aristocrat suitor here to court me," she thought to herself as she stepped up the marble stairs to her front door. When she swung the door open, she saw her father seated by the fireplace chatting with someone. It was Henantil. He looked at her with a grin.

Loac froze with fear. Why was Henantil here all of a sudden? She didn't know whether he had told her father about today's events or not.

"Loac," said her father as he noticed her at the door, "How was work today? Anything interesting happen?"

"Y-Yes, actually. I was invited by the ambassador to be his clerk at the signing of a new treaty in Skywatch," said Loac. She handed the letter from High Wizard Canato to her father.

"Well, congratulations. You'll get a first-hand look at how a treaty is formed. Give my regards to High Wizard Canato while you're there. I haven't seen him in decades," said High Wizard Warundil.

Loac smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Good evening, Loac," said Henantil with a smile, "I was just showing your father my new horse. It's a Cheydinhal Black. I'm sure you know it's the finest horse money can buy."

"It's beautiful," said Loac with a feigned smile. She felt angry knowing that Henantil had just bought it with Falinir's hard-earned savings. Henantil was also wearing expensive new red silk clothing with gold embroidery. Like any other typical Altmer, he had squandered his money on something overly luxurious to arrogantly show off his status. Loac was annoyed by his presence, but relieved that at least he hadn't told her father anything.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. I have to be at the embassy early tomorrow to leave for Skywatch," said Loac.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with you in private before you go to sleep," said Henantil suddenly.

Loac's father looked at Henantil with a surprised expression. Suddenly it all made sense to Warundil. Henantil's expensive new horse and new suit were simply ways of impressing Loac. Henantil had to be secretly courting her, and that's why Loac loved going to her work so much. Warundil smiled at the thought of it. Though Henantil was older than Loac by about 120 years, that wasn't much considering the 900 year average lifespan of the Altmer race. He had known Henantil for many years, and had grown to trust him. Yes, Warundil decided in his thoughts, he would allow them to marry.

"You may talk to me in my room," said Loac as she walked up the stairs with Henantil trailing behind her. Loac shut the door to her room and looked at Henantil impatiently.

"What is it you want to discuss?" asked Loac.

"Do you realize the grave mistake you're making by having a relationship with Ambassador Falinir?" asked Henantil, "I don't think you know what you've gotten yourself into."

"I don't need you to lecture me. You've already received more money than you deserve to remain quiet," said Loac.

"Just six or seven weeks ago I saw Ambassador Falinir and the other two Bosmer in the embassy eating that clerk who was killed by the Orc. They're cannibals," said Henantil, "The things I saw that day will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"I already know about that", said Loac, "Falinir told me."

"You know?" asked Henantil in surprise, "And it doesn't disgust you?"

"No," Loac said. In truth it did bother her a little bit, but she didn't want to encourage Henantil's argument.

Henantil stepped close to Loac and said, "You can't honestly tell me you think cannibalism is normal. You deserve better than a savage inferior like him. There are better mer out there, sophisticated mer, like myself, who would love to be with someone like you. You know, the day you came to work at the embassy, my heart leapt with joy knowing that I would be working with you. I've worked for your father for over 80 years, and I've had my eyes on you since you were a child."

"You've had your eyes on me since I was a child? That's disgusting!" said Loac.

"What I meant to say is, I have always longed to marry the daughter of the High King," said Henantil.

"Just like every other Altmer out there," said Loac, "I'm not interested. I'm in love with Falinir."

"You can never marry him, and having a secret illegal relationship with him will never bring you happiness. When you finally come to your senses and decide you want to be with a proper mer, know that I'll be waiting for you. I always have been waiting for you," said Henantil.

Henantil tried to touch Loac's cheek and she shoved his arm away.

"Get out," she said bluntly.

"Be careful. The life of your precious little ambassador rests in my hands. If I breathe one word about your relationship to your father, he won't hesitate to kill Ambassador Falinir," said Henantil with a malicious smile.

"My father would never do that," said Loac defensively.

"I've known your father longer than you have, and believe me, he's had people killed for lesser crimes than what Falinir has done. I know this for a fact because I'm the one who carried out the executions. However, I have faith that you'll come to your senses eventually, and it won't have to come to that. I know in your heart you are a proper Altmer. Look, I'm not here to blackmail you..." said Henantil

"It sure sounds like you are," said Loac.

"Just give it some thought. I'm handsome, I have a nice home, fine clothing, a thoroughbred horse, and when I marry you it will allow me to someday become the next High King. I'm your dream come true," bragged Henantil, "Just think about me, and know that I'll be thinking about you. You'll come to me eventually, I know you will. I'm a patient mer. I can wait for you to realize your mistakes on your own."

"Goodnight," said Loac impatiently opening her door.

"Goodnight, my dear," said Henantil with an arrogant smile as he left.

"I can't believe the nerve of that mer! Disgusting!" thought Loac to herself. She closed the door and layed on her bed. She felt afraid. If he really was a secret executioner who worked for her father that made him even more dangerous than she had previously thought. She hoped he would never turn Falinir into her father, but now she wasn't so sure. "I'm a patient mer. I can wait", he had told her. She wondered just how patient he really was. It seemed as though he meant he would let her continue her relationship with Falinir as long as she wanted to. Perhaps he didn't really want to kill Falinir, because then she would hold a grudge against him. If Henantil wanted to marry Loac, it made sense that he wouldn't want to do anything that would anger her. However, she feared what Henantil would do if he realized the truth that she would never marry him. As Loac fell asleep that night she hoped for the best, but in the back of her mind she feared the worst.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Falinir and Loac boarded the coach, while the driver strapped their leather luggage satchels onto the roof. The sun was barely rising in the early morning hour, and they were already on their way to Skywatch for the treaty signing. Loac's heart filled with excitement as they passed outside Alinor's city walls, and the road slowly changed from cobblestone to dirt. The straight dirt road made it's way past pastures and farms. Loac turned to face Falinir, who was sitting across from her.

"This is my first time outside of Alinor", said Loac with a giddy smile.

"Oh, you'll love Skywatch. I've been there twice myself. The city draws a lot of vacationers, so you'll see all sorts of people there. It's filled with inns and restaurants all along the beaches. Near Canato's castle, there's an incredible restaurant you simply must try," said Falinir, "I'd like to take you there sometime during our stay."

"I'd love to," said Loac.

She looked out the window at the passing countryside. There were rolling green hills dotted with herds of sheep. They passed through a small wooded forest, and Loac saw a wild timber wolf running freely through the foliage. After an hour of travel they eventually reached the ferry that would take them to the smaller of the two main islands of Summerset Isle. The coach stood still upon the creaking wooden dock as the large ferry slowly approached from the sea. When the ferry boat finally docked, two Altmer sailors lowered a long wooden boarding platform. The coach went up the steep loading ramp, causing Loac to suddenly fall out of her seat and land on top of Falinir. Her tall height caused her chest to be pressed hard against his face. Only when the coach pulled onto the even ground of the ship thirty seconds later, was Loac able to pull back. She saw that Falinir was laughing.

"It wasn't funny", she said. Her cheeks were blushing red with embarrassment.

"I'm just laughing because for a moment there I thought I was going to be smothered to death by your... your..." Falinir was unable to finish his sentence because he was laughing so hard, "I'm sorry. I know it's not proper to joke about such things."

Falinir began to feel embarrassed about his impolite joke, then to his surprise, Loac started laughing too. They laughed about it together as the ferry pulled away from the dock and began heading towards Skywatch. Loac listened to the sea birds and the creaking of the wooden boat. The way the ferry moved smoothly up and down the ocean waves, made the coach roll forward and back. It was fun at first, but after awhile it made her feel somewhat nauseous. When she caught sight of the dock of Skywatch she smiled gleefully. Skywatch really was beautiful.

The coach disembarked from the ferry and entered the town. All of the stone houses around them were painted different colors, and the whole town was much more lively than Alinor. Loac was amazed at how many different people were walking along the streets. There were Altmer of course, several Dunmer, some humans, and she gasped as she saw an Argonian for the first time. The Altmer in Skywatch didn't seem to mind the presence of other races at all.

"I wonder if some of the Altmer in Skywatch ever get into interracial relationships with the travelers that come here," said Loac inquisitively.

"Ah, well it probably happens occasionally, but they'd get exiled for it. It's illegal in all of Summerset Isle, even in places where there are a lot of foreigners," said Falinir.

The coach suddenly pulled to a stop in front of a large inn. The carved sign above the door read "The Seadragon Lodge". The driver of the coach opened the door for them, and carried the luggage up to their rooms. Their rooms were right next to eachother. Loac and Falinir unpacked their luggage satchels in their seperate rooms and met again in the hallway.

"There's a note in my room with the schedule for the treaty signing," said Falinir, "We don't have to be there until this afternoon. It's not even noon yet, so why don't we go enjoy the beach?"

They walked along the white sand on the beach, and looked out at the sparkling clear blue ocean. The water was so clear, Loac could see pink coral and colorful fish swimming around. Several Dunmer children were playing and splashing in the water, while adults relaxed in the sunshine along the beach. It's no wonder why this was the most popular beach in all of Tamriel. The sun felt warm on her face, and there was a slight breeze blowing through her hair. Despite Loac's enjoyment of her new surroundings, at the back of her mind she was still upset about Henantil. She decided to wait to tell Falinir about it until after they got back to Alinor, so that he could at least enjoy their vacation in Skywatch without any troubles on his mind.

"Time sure flies by in a place like this. It's already passing noon. We should walk over to the castle now for the treaty signing," said Falinir.

"This treaty signing we're going to, it's to get everyone to work together in stopping the pirates, right?" asked Loac.

"Quite the opposite I'm afraid," said Falinir, "Did you see the news article about the little skirmish that happened in Skywatch while you were recovering from your arrow wound?"

"No, I didn't," said Loac.

Falinir replied, "Well a ship full of pirates attacked a small fishing village in Valenwood. They ransacked the village and burned it to the ground. They even killed children. The few surviving villagers ran to the nearby Valenwood town of Greenheart and convinced the town guard and soldiers to help them hunt down and kill the pirates who had attacked them. So, the whole lot of them got on a large ship, and it wasn't long before they spotted the pirates who had attacked the village. The pirates could see the angry mob outnumbered them, and they fled west. Those cowardly pirates finally docked at Skywatch and ran, but the Bosmer soldiers followed them. It ended with a massive bloody battle between the two, right on this very beach. All the vacationers and local Altmer here ran for their lives or looked on in horror at the battle. The soldiers from Greenheart eventually won and all of the pirates were slain, but suffice it to say the people of Skywatch were not pleased. When a boat full of armed soldiers from another province storms upon their beach it could be considered an act of war. I think they were terrified with the thought that Valenwood had suddenly declared war on Summerset Isle, before they realized the soldiers were only attacking pirates. The soldiers from Greenheart had good intentions, but storming upon a Summerset Isle beach like that was foolish. Now High Wizard Canato wants to write this treaty to make it clear that sea borders cannot be crossed by foreign soldiers even if they are pursuing pirates. Technically that is already the law, but this treaty is just a show to make sure everyone will behave. In the end, it's the pirates who will win."

"Can't you oppose the treaty then?" asked Loac.

"No, I won't be the main person representing Valenwood there. The Chieftain of Greenheart will personally be there to sign the treaty, and he supports it fully. It's a gesture to apologize for the actions of his guardsmen. He already wrote me a letter regarding it over a week ago and I have to follow his orders. He's been in correspondance with High Wizard Canato ever since the incident, and they both decided on forming this treaty as a way of reconciling what happened. Even if the representative from Cyrodill refuses to sign it, which I doubt, it will still become a treaty between Summerset Isle and Valenwood. I'll follow my orders from the Chieftain and sign it, then we can enjoy the rest of our time here," said Falinir.

Loac nodded in acceptance, and they stepped up the walkway to High Wizard Canato's castle.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Inside the castle dining hall, everything was set up for the treaty signing. There were ceremonial flags hanging from the walls representing the three provinces of Summerset Isle, Valenwood, and Cyrodill. Loac was surprised that the flags were all the same size, as if the High Wizard of Skywatch didn't want to use this oppourtunity to display superiority. She knew that if her father were in charge of this meeting, the Summerset Isle flag would have been five times the size of the other flags. Loac looked across the dining hall and noticed the Chieftain of Greenheart and his attendants were already seated and enjoying the luxurious banquet placed out for the guests.

"Ambassador Falinir! Good to see you. Please, come and join us!" said Greenheart's Chieftain with a jolly grin. The Chieftain was vastly overweight, and combined with his short stature, it made him look round. He wasn't dressed superiorly to his attendants, and he talked to them like they were simply good friends enjoying food and drink together.

"Chieftain Thellin, it's truely an honor to be here," said Falinir as he walked over to the table.

"Ah, Falinir, living with the Altmer all these years has made you too formal. There's no need for such formality with me. Come and eat some boar with us!" said Chieftain Thellin handing him a plate.

Soon Falinir was filling his plate and talking and laughing with the other Bosmer like they were the best of friends. The idea of Falinir being "too formal" was funny to Loac. In her life, he was the least formal person she knew. As Loac and Falinir ate the overly fancy food, they noticed a small group of Imperial humans enter the hall. Millona Umbranox, the Countess of the city of Anvil was at the front of the group.

"That's the Countess of Anvil. She must be the one representing Cyrodill. It makes sense since her city is on the coast and the closest to Summerset Isle," whispered Falinir to Loac.

Finally, last to arrive was High Wizard Canato. He called everyone to his attention and opened a scroll. Loac put down her plate of food and began taking notes while everyone discussed the treaty. Just as Falinir had said, the treaty was to prevent forces from crossing sea borders while pursuing pirates. After a few small details were worked out, everyone signed it, including the Countess of Anvil. The treaty was now interprovincial law. After handshakes and farewells, the guests left the castle and walked to their inns for the night. The sky was a dark blue and the evening air felt refreshing to Loac, as she walked with Falinir back to their inn.

Falinir pointed at a door they passed and said, "That's the restaurant I wanted to take you to, only I didn't know the High Wizard was going to provide dinner for us at his castle."

"Perhaps we can go there for lunch tomorrow before we leave," said Loac.

"It's a shame we'll have to go back so soon. To be honest, I was hoping the treaty signing would take days," said Falinir.

"Me too," replied Loac, "I really love being here with you."

Falinir looked around and saw the street was empty, then softly kissed Loac's hand.

They entered the inn and walked up the wooden stairs to their rooms. Loac reached for her key and unlocked the door to her room.

"Well... goodnight," said Loac.

"Goodnight," said Falinir as he stood in front of his door. Then in a faint whisper he added, "I love you."

"I love you too," whispered Loac.

Falinir softly closed his door behind him. He changed into his nightshirt and closed the curtains on his window. In his thoughts, he had somewhat hoped that Loac would spend the night with him, but he knew that Altmer women _always_ waited until marriage for such a thing. He was content just to be able to kiss her, and would never dare ask her for anything more. He layed down alone in his bed and got under the woolen blankets. The yellow candle on the table beside his bed still flickered, and he leaned over to blow it out when he heard a soft knocking on the door. Falinir opened the door, and saw Loac standing outside his room wearing a silk white nightgown. The fabric on her nightgown was so thin and light it showed off all of the curves of her body. He could see her nipples like little bumps under the fabric.

"Oh my," said Falinir at the sight of her.

Loac came into the room and immediately began passionately kissing him. Falinir noticed she was touching him in places she had never touched before. In the heat of their passionate kiss, she walked over and layed on his bed with a submissive shy look in her eyes. Falinir followed her to the bed and layed on top of her, kissing along her arm and neck.

Loac knew this was probably her only chance to spend the night with Falinir, and she wanted to be with him more than anything. She could feel he was growing aroused as well. She pulled off her nightgown revealing her slender body to him. He gasped at the sight, then quickly pulled off his nightshirt as well.

Loac didn't keep track of how many times they made love that night. After five or six times she stopped counting. Falinir had stamina she never imagined. It seemed to her that he also knew this would be their only chance to make love, perhaps for a very long time. When it was almost morning, they finally fell asleep with their nude bodies intertwined in a lover's embrace.

A few hours later, the sun was begining to light up the sky, and Falinir woke up. He looked at the sleeping face of the beautiful woman next to him. He wished he could wake up next to Loac every morning. He ran his fingers through her long brown hair, and fantasized about them running off to Valenwood together, never to return to Alinor. He knew that was the only way they could ever marry and live together, but he also knew a privileged noblewoman like Loac could never be happy living in a backward place like Valenwood. He wanted her to be happy. Their relationship would have to remain a secret in Alinor. Loac fluttered her eyes a bit and awoke. She looked into his face.

"Good morning, my love," said Falinir with a smile.

Loac kissed him again, in pure bliss.

"You were wonderful last night. I never even knew such pleasure existed," said Loac.

Falinir smiled bashfully, "Really? To be honest, it was my first time. I'd always intended to wait until marriage before making love, but I know that isn't really possible with us."

Loac looked sad at his words. Falinir noticed her expression and held her hands to his heart.

"Loac, you know I would marry you right this instant if I could. I love you. It's only that law against interracial relationships that won't let me. Even if we can't marry, you're the one I want to be with for the rest of my life," said Falinir.

The smile returned to Loac's face.

Falinir got dressed in his clothes for the day, and Loac put her night gown back on. He opened the door and carefully looked outside at the hall to make sure it was empty. When Falinir saw no one was there, Loac quickly walked to her room and went inside to get properly dressed. When she was almost ready, there was a knock on her door.

Falinir stood in her doorway and said, "The only temple to Y'ffre in Summerset Isle is here in Skywatch. I hope you don't mind if I go there this morning to pray? I'll be back within the hour."

"Oh that's fine. I'm still tired from last night, and I think I'll sleep a little longer. Just wake me when you return," said Loac with a yawn.

Falinir briskly walked to the nearby temple of Y'ffre. It was a massive stone building with high pointed towers, like most of the temples in Summerset Isle. The main difference that set it apart from the surrounding buildings was not just it's large size, but the large conifer trees that had been planted all around it. It was fitting to have trees near a temple to the forest god.

Falinir knelt at the altar and said a brief prayer. Within a minute he stood up and left the temple, walking towards the market district of town. There was something he wanted to buy for Loac.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Loac felt a hand tapping on her shoulder. She yawned and rolled over in bed.

"I'm back," said Falinir.

Loac opened her sleepy eyes and looked up at his smiling face. He seemed happier than usual. In his hands were two identical sparkling ruby amulets, each with a golden necklace chain.

Falinir said, "I know you were upset earlier today when I said it was impossible for us to marry. Well, I was thinking about it, and there's nothing stopping us from at least becoming engaged. In Valenwood, we have a tradition. When a man and woman become engaged, they wear a matching set of jewelry as a symbol of their engagement. It can be matching rings, earrings, bracelets, or necklaces. I bought these necklaces as a promise to you. If the day ever comes that we really can wed, will you be my wife?"

He knelt down on his knees and held out the necklaces to her.

"Yes," said Loac in excitement. The sleepiness left her eyes, and she jumped out of bed hugging Falinir. Falinir placed one of the necklaces around his neck, then carefully put the other one on Loac. She held the large ruby pendant up to her face and looked at it.

"It's beautiful," said Loac, "Thank you so much."

"They're enchanted rubies. Wearing it will protect you 100 percent from any fire magic," said Falinir.

"Amazing... That's a very powerful enchantment for an amulet," said Loac.

"I've always admired the Altmer ability to craft such powerful magical items. I'd never be able to find anything this powerful in Valenwood or even the Imperial City, " said Falinir.

"It's not that difficult to enchant things. You just need an enchanting altar and the ability to cast that specific spell," said Loac, "I could probably make a simple magical ring."

"You've studied magic extensively, I bet," said Falinir, "Considering you're the High Wizard's daughter."

"Not more than anyone else my age. My father has only taught me the basics so far. I'm still young, and I'm actually not as skilled in magic as most people. I can do some weak destruction spells like fire and shock. I also learned an alteration spell that lets me breathe underwater. I can heal minor wounds too," said Loac, "That's about it."

"You still know a lot more magic than I do. I only know one spell," said Falinir.

"What's that?" asked Loac.

Falinir lifted his hand to cast the spell, then he suddenly vanished before her eyes. A few seconds later he reappeared with a grin.

"Invisibility? I've never studied that. My father told me that invisibility is... well it's... nevermind. What should we do for lunch?" asked Loac trying to change the subject.

"What? What did he tell you?" asked Falinir in curiousity.

"Well, my father told me invisibility is..." Loac said reluctantly, "...only used by thieves, murderers, and cowards."

Falinir laughed hard.

"That is hilarious! Oh, your father is quite a character! I've never stolen anything or murdered anyone, that is for certain. As for hiding being cowardly, well it's viewed quite differently in Valenwood. Sometimes the most intelligent man is the one who knows when to hide or run away," said Falinir, "Being able to hide is perhaps the most life-saving skill a person can have. You know, the most famous poem in Bosmeri literature, the "Meh Ayleidion", means "The One Thousand Benefits of Hiding."

"Perhaps you can teach me invisibility sometime," said Loac.

"Of course. I'd be happy to," said Falinir, "Now then, how about a walk around Skywatch one last time before we depart for Alinor?"

"How about something better?" said Loac coyly, while softly brushing her fingers across the bed.

Their last hours in Skywatch were spent entwined as lovers in bed, cherishing every last fleeting moment together at the inn. Then as the day grew late, they reluctantly packed their luggage satchels and boarded the coach for the long journey back to Alinor.

The following few months in Alinor went by as usual. Loac and Falinir kissed occasionally in his office, but were never able to spend the night together. The trip to Skywatch really had been their only opportunity. Falinir kept his amulet carefully hidden under his shirt, so that no one would know of his secret engagement to Loac. Loac wore hers openly, but no one knew of it's hidden meaning. The only person who knew there was romance between Loac and Falinir at all was Henantil. Whenever Loac passed Henantil in the hall, he stared at her longingly and it made her feel uncomfortable and frightened. However, there was something even more important on Loac's mind. She didn't want to tell Falinir until she was sure, but she was now absolutely certain after three months. She was pregnant.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Henantil was in the hallway when he saw Loac arrive for work. She looked distracted, as though there was something weighing on her mind. As usual, she headed straight for Ambassador Falinir's office.

"Hello Loac," said Henantil with a smile.

"Hello," said Loac walking right past Henantil without even looking at him.

She walked into Falinir's office and closed the door behind her without another word. Henantil grimaced angrily. He was growing more frustrated with every passing day. He assumed she would come to her senses by now, but she still seemed determined to be with that Bosmer. Henantil needed a plan to break them up. Talking to Loac hadn't worked at all. Henantil glanced back and ensured that no one was in the hallway. He then placed his ear against Falinir's office door and listened to what was happening inside.

Inside Falinir's office, Loac bit her lip nervously and turned away from her paperwork as she spoke, "Falinir, there is something important I need to tell you."

The tone of her voice brought concern to Falinir's eyes.

"What is it? Is there something wrong?" asked Falinir as he looked up from his reading.

"I'm pregnant," said Loac bluntly.

Falinir dropped the book he was holding and looked at Loac in shock.

"Are you absolutely certain?" asked Falinir with urgency.

"Yes. I've missed three menses, and I can feel my womb has gotten bigger. In fact I'm starting to show," said Loac placing a hand lovingly on her somewhat larger abdomen.

"Then we must leave Summerset Isle at once. We can board a ship to Valenwood at the docks this morning," said Falinir. He began frantically opening the floorboards to his hidden gold-filled chest.

"Well, before I leave I should let my father know what happened so he doesn't worry," said Loac naively.

"No! That's the worst possible thing you could do. He'll have me killed, and our child as well! No one must know of this," said Falinir, "I know this is hard for you, but it's the only way to ensure our child's safety. You can't pack anything, or withdraw your money from the bank. It might draw too much attention. I have enough money for us in this chest. We can carry it to the docks under the guise that it's a package to be shipped to Valenwood. Then we can board a boat with it and quietly leave. By the time anyone notices we're gone, we'll be safely on Valenwood soil."

"When we're in Valenwood, we'll be able to marry, right?" asked Loac.

"Yes, we'll marry, and purchase a house, and raise our child together," said Falinir.

Loac smiled and helped Falinir lift the chest out of the nook in the floor.

Henantil stepped away from the door and gritted his teeth in anger. His future bride was pregnant with a disgusting half-breed child! His silence had allowed things to go too far. The time for letting Loac come to her senses had passed. They could not be allowed to flee Summerset Isle! High Wizard Warundil had to know of his daughter's pregnancy immediately. Henantil rapidly walked down the stairs and out of the embassy. He mounted his horse and rode straight towards the High Wizard's manor.

After the gold-filled chest was lifted out of the floor, Falinir grabbed a few personal documents and his bone-carved letter opener and placed them in his inner jacket pocket. Then together, Falinir and Loac carried the locked chest out of his office.

When they stepped into the hallway, one of the Bosmer clerks noticed them with the heavy chest and said, "Can I help you carry that?"

"No thanks, Renlir. It's not quite as heavy as it looks. We're taking it to the docks to be shipped to Valenwood. We'll probably be gone for several hours," said Falinir.

"No problem," said Renlir, "Should I ask Henantil to cancel your lunch order then?"

"Yes, I don't think we'll be eating lunch here today," replied Falinir.

Loac and Falinir slowly carried the chest down several streets. After half an hour of walking, the weight of it began to hurt Loac's arms but she continued onward without complaint. She knew that soon she'd be in Valenwood, free to live her life with the man she loved.

Loac heard the sound of horses swiftly running in the distance behind her. Suddenly without warning she saw Falinir get struck with a magical attack and fall to the ground. The gold-filled chest fell out of his hands onto the street. Before Loac could turn around to face the attacker she felt a terrible pain strike her in the back. As the paralysis spell took over her body, she closed her eyes and fell silently to the ground.

Loac felt hands grasp her waist and carry her onto a carriage. She was filled with fear, yet the paralysis spell was so strong she could not even open her eyes to see where she was being taken. Finally the carriage came to a stop and she heard the door open. She was carried again, this time up a flight of stairs and placed down upon a bed. Nearly an hour passed before she opened her eyes and recognized she was in her own bedroom. Her father was standing over her with a stern look in his eyes. He looked absolutely filled with anger.

"Good. You're awake," he said.

"Where's Falinir?" asked Loac frantically.

"He's dead, just as he should be for the crime he commited," said Warundil without a trace of emotion.

"No!" shouted Loac. Tears streamed down her face as her father's words echoed in her mind. She sobbed into her pillow and pounded her fist against the wall.

"Now you listen to me, young lady. Stop your tears for that inferior right now! You commited a terrible disgusting crime with him, a crime that is normally punished by permanent exile. However, I am your father and you are my only child. No one yet knows of your crime, and it's not too late to set things right. You will stay here in your room until the half-breed in your womb is born. I will cull the baby myself, and then you will be wed to Henantil and live a proper Altmer life. No one will ever know of your embarrassing crime. I'm locking you in your room for the remainder of your pregnancy," said Warundil.

"You can't kill my baby!" said Loac, "I won't let you!"

"How dare you talk back to me after I saved you from exile! I could kill that baby right now if I wanted to. There are methods of killing a baby while it's still in the womb. It's dangerous to the mother, however if you attempt to escape I will not hesitate to do it!" said Warundil, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to."

He closed the door to her room and locked it. Loac shuddered at the thought that killing a child in the womb was even possible. She had to escape somehow. She looked through her tears at the room around her. There were no windows and no other doors. Then she noticed the fireplace. A purple fire was roaring in it. She wondered if she could escape through the chimney. Loac saw a glass of water and a plate of food on her bedside table. She grabbed the glass of water and threw it onto the roaring fire. Nothing happened. The magical flames continued to burn unaffected. Her father must have enchanted the fire to never go out. The situation seemed hopeless.

She layed on her bed and sobbed again for Falinir. She wondered if his death was painful and the thought of that brought her even more sadness. As her chest pressed against the straw filled mattress she felt a hard stone push onto her skin. It was her ruby engagement necklace. She tightly held onto the ruby jewel that meant so much to her. Suddenly she remembered Falinir's words. The necklace would protect her 100 percent from any fire magic. She again walked over to the magical fire burning in the fireplace. There was only one way to find out if the enchanted necklace would work. Loac squinted her eyes in fear as she thrusted her hand into the scorching flames. There was no pain at all. She examined her hand and realized the flames hadn't even burned her dress sleeve. She crawled completely into the fire and looked up through the chimney. It would be a long arduous climb to the top, but it was the only way to save her baby. Even if Falinir were dead, as long as Loac drew breath she would never let the same fate befall his child. Pressing her back against one side of the chimney and her feet against the other, Loac began scooting upwards. The smoke from the fire choked her and made her eyes burn. Apparently the amulet didn't protect against smoke. When she finally emerged on the roof, she was covered in black soot and coughing hard from the smoke. She lowered herself down to a balcony, then from the balcony down to a pile of storage barrels and into her garden. She ducked past the guards and scaled the wall surrounding her manor. She was out on the street and free. Unfortunately, her father's manor was several miles from the docks. It would take her hours to reach there, but it was her child's only hope. Despite the stares from passersby at her soot-covered clothes and hair, Loac ran as fast as she could in the direction of the docks.

Meanwhile, in a dark damp basement Falinir awoke to find himself tied tightly to a chair. Henantil was glaring down at him with a murderous grin.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Do you know what you're doing here?" asked Henantil maliciously.

"Apparently I'm sitting here tied to a chair, with a goddamned bastard standing next to me," replied Falinir.

"Strong words for someone about to die. This is where traitors and criminals are sent to be executed," said Henantil.

"Go burn in Oblivion," replied Falinir as he spit at Henantil.

"We'll see if you're so strong-willed once you're choking on your own blood," said Henantil as he calmly wiped the spit off of his shirt.

Falinir glanced around at his dismal surroundings. He was held captive in the very center of the dark room. An odor of death hung in the stifling air. Straight across from him there were various blood stained knives and instruments placed out neatly on a table. Next to the table was a large brown ceramic pot. A broom covered in ashes was leaning against the corner of the room.

"I want to show you something," said Henantil with a smile.

He walked across the room and picked up the heavy covered pot. He carried it over to Falinir, removed the lid, and cast a light spell to show Falinir what was inside.

"Tell me what you see," said Henantil.

Falinir remained silent. He wasn't about to play Henantil's little guessing games.

"It's full of ashes," said Henantil impatiently, "It's where you're going to be in just a couple of hours. No one will ever know what happened to you. Your body will go to waste after your death; no one will eat you or make little carvings out of your bones. You will be reduced to nothing but a small pile of ashes and swept up into this pot."

"Henantil, you're not going to get the satisfaction of having me grovel and beg for my life. You might as well just shut your arrogant mouth and kill me now," said Falinir.

"Oh, I would gladly kill you now, but the High Wizard wants to have a word with you before you die," said Henantil, "He should arrive any minute now."

Falinir heard footsteps on the floor above him, and saw High Wizard Warundil descend the staircase into the basement. He looked down at Falinir with utter fury.

"Disgusting little Bosmer," said Warundil with a sneer, "It makes me _sick_ to think you touched my daughter."

"I'm the Ambassador of Valenwood. To execute me is considered an act of war between our provinces," said Falinir.

High Wizard Warundil laughed, "You know just as well as I do that the chieftains of Valenwood would never declare war over your death. You're just going to disappear, missed by no one, and they'll send a new ambassador to take your place."

"Where is Loac? What will happen to her?" asked Falinir.

"Loac is not your concern," replied Warundil, "I'm going to make sure that you are slowly tortured to death for what you have done to my daughter."

Warundil grabbed Falinir's finger and bent it backward until the bone snapped. Falinir cried out in pain.

"I see you're crying already. Just another example of how weak and cowardly your inferior race is," said Warundil with an arrogant sneer.

"If I were a coward I wouldn't have gotten into a relationship with your daughter," said Falinir.

"All that proves is you're a fool," replied Warundil, "You and the rest of your barbarian race."

"You call my people barbarians?! It's people like you who are the real barbarians! You who kill your own babies out of your obsession for perfection!" replied Falinir, "You make me sick!"

"I've had enough of this nonsense," said Warundil. He turned to Henantil and said, "Torture him to death. Make it long and extremely painful."

"With pleasure," replied Henantil.

Without another word, Warundil stepped out of the basement to leave Falinir to his fate.

Henantil turned to Falinir and said, "You don't need to worry about Loac. You see, I'll be taking really good care of her... in my bed that is."

"In your dreams!" said Falinir.

"The High Wizard has already promised Loac's hand in marriage to me. Once your disgusting half-breed baby is out of her womb and killed, Loac will be mine whether she wants to or not. I can't wait to make love to her. Just think, when she's moaning in pleasure from me every night, she'll remember your tiny little Bosmer penis and laugh," said Henantil with a grin, "She'll wonder why she was ever with you."

Falinir's face grimaced with anger. He struggled with all his strength against the ropes binding him, but they didn't budge. Henantil poured oil into an alchemy alembic and began heating it to a boil. He then walked over to Falinir and removed his Falinir's shoes.

"You ever wonder what it's like to have your feet burned off by boiling oil?" asked Henantil.

"No, to be honest, that topic has never crossed my mind," said Falinir, "Why don't you pour it on yourself and find out, you stupid fetcher."

Henantil calmly used a caliper to remove the alembic from the flame. Then he carried the boiling oil over to Falinir and held it over one of his feet. Even at two inches away Falinir could feel the heat of the oil. Despite the strong look on his face, his mind raced with fear of the pain to come. Henantil slowly tipped the oil out of the alembic and poured about a spoonful of it on top of Falinir's foot. Falinir screamed out in agony. The searing heat of the oil made his skin bubble and turn red and black. The scent of it reminded him of a funeral feast, yet it was his own skin cooking.

Henantil saw the bubbling red skin and turned away from Falinir's screams. He had killed dozens of people before, but he'd never been asked to torture anyone to death. It seemed more than he could stomach, even if it was just a Bosmer. He decided to defy Warundil's orders and kill Falinir quickly, like any other prisoner. Henantil held up his hands to perform a magical attack.

"Any last words?" he said.

"When I'm a ghost, I'm going to haunt you until the end of your days," sputtered Falinir.

Henantil smiled and unleashed his magical attack upon Falinir with fury.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Falinir watched the magical flames surround his body. Yet, to his surprise he felt no pain. Henantil had a look of confusion upon his face and increased the power of his attack. Suddenly Falinir realized what was happening. He remembered his engagement amulet protected him from fire magic, and Henantil was using fire magic. The ropes and chair binding Falinir burned to ash around him, and Falinir immediately seized the oppourtunity. He turned himself invisible and fled limping up the stairs. When he exited the basement, he was surprised to see he was in a regular manor. Glancing around, he saw a snobbish painting of Henantil on the wall. The execution chamber had been in Henantil's own basement! As Falinir headed for the door to leave he noticed his chest of gold sitting by Henantil's bookshelf. Looking at his broken finger and his injured foot, he knew he had no choice to but leave his savings behind.

Henantil wasn't sure what had just happened. Did Falinir just suddenly vaporize from the fire? Henantil carefully sifted through the burned remains of the rope and chair. There was no sign of Falinir. By the time Henantil realized that Falinir must have used invisibility to escape, Falinir was already running down the street. Falinir continued casting invisibility on himself until his magicka ran out. He saw that he was near the docks, but he would never leave Loac behind. He assumed Warundil would probably hide Loac rather than face the embarrassment of making the pregnancy public by exiling her. She would most likely be locked up somewhere in her home. He ran with a limp away from the docks, toward High Wizard Warundil's manor. Somehow, he knew he would save her and their unborn child.

Loac continued running towards the dock. She realized that if she were caught, she'd be locked up in her room again, and her baby would be killed while still in the womb. The only way that she could be free was to be exiled instead. That meant, people had to know of her illegal pregnancy. If the public knew about it, her father would have no choice but to follow the laws and exile her even if he caught her. He wouldn't be able to hide her away.

To every person she passed on the street she shouted, "I'm pregnant with a Bosmer child! I'm leaving Summerset Isle in exile!"

People stared at her in shock of her confession. She knew her father would be embarrassed beyond words, and it would be devastating for his reputation, but after the way he had treated her she no longer cared. All that mattered now was her child.

As Falinir continued to limp in the direction of the High Wizard's manor, he saw an Altmer woman farther down the street, covered from head to toe in black soot and crazily shouting to people that she was pregnant with a Bosmer child. It was Loac! When Loac's eyes met Falinir's eyes her jaw dropped open in shock. She smiled with pure joy and ran as fast as she could towards him. As she held him tightly, tears streaked down her soot-covered face.

"My father told me you were dead," she said, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I nearly did die," said Falinir, "Your father ordered Henantil to torture me to death. Only my amulet saved me from his fire magic, and I used invisibility to escape."

"By the Divines! What happened to your foot?" asked Loac as she glanced down at Falinir's badly burnt skin.

"Can you cast a restoration spell on it?" asked Falinir.

Loac placed her hands over Falinir's wounded foot. Blue light emanated from Loac, and Falinir's skin began to heal. Soon the wound looked no worse than a sunburn.

"Ah... that's much better. Can you heal my finger too?" asked Falinir as he showed his broken finger to Loac.

"What has Henantil done to you?" asked Loac in shock.

"Actually, it was your father who broke my finger," said Falinir.

Blue light flowed from Loac's hand onto Falinir's finger. Some of the pain went away, but the bone inside remained broken.

"I can only heal skin wounds. You need to go to a healer right away," said Loac.

"There's no time for that. We need to leave Summerset Isle right now," said Falinir urgently.

They ran together towards the docks, and Loac noticed a boat with a Bosmer crew.

"I bet that boat is going to Valenwood," said Loac, "We should go with them!"

"It won't be long before your father finds out we've escaped. He'll send ships after any boat that headed to Valenwood. We need to go somewhere else," said Falinir.

Falinir glanced around and noticed a boat with Imperial and Redguard merchants pulling up their anchor. A few Altmeri passengers were on board as well. They looked like they were about to depart.

"Where are you headed?" Falinir asked the Redguard captain.

"Anvil," said the Redguard.

"How much for passage on your ship?" asked Falinir with urgency.

"Fifty gold. Each," replied the Redguard, "That's one hundred gold total."

Falinir rummaged through his pockets. He only had seventy gold on him. The rest of his gold, his savings for the past eleven years, was back in Henantil's house.

"How about seventy?" asked Falinir.

"No deal," said the Redguard as he boarded the ship.

"Wait! How about seventy gold and my jacket?" asked Falinir desperately.

"What about giving me that?" asked the Redguard, pointing to Falinir's beautifully bone carved letter opener.

"I- I can't. It was carved from my great-great-grandfather's arm bone," replied Falinir, "It means a lot to me. Please, just take the gold and my jacket. The jacket is silk and barely used."

"Alright. Get onboard," said the Redguard.

As soon as Loac and Falinir boarded the ship, the captain ordered the sails open, and the ship set out to sea. Loac ducked out of view as Henantil appeared at the docks. Henantil headed straight toward the Bosmer ship still at the dock and began searching it. Loac realized Falinir had made a wise choice in boarding the ship to Anvil. She reached out and held his hand as their ship sailed further and further away from Summerset Isle. In her heart she said goodbye to the land that had been her home for all her life.

Henantil exited the Bosmer ship with an expression of fury. Falinir was no where to be found! He now had no choice but to tell High Wizard Warundil that Falinir had escaped.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Henantil mounted his horse and rode as fast as he could up to Warundil's stately manor. The guards let him pass into the flower-filled courtyard, and the doorman let him inside the house. Henantil walked noisily across the shiny marble floor and saw Warundil seated at his formal dining table eating lunch.

"High Wizard..." said Henantil with a slight bow.

"Don't tell me that Bosmer is already dead. I told you to take your time with it," said Warundil annoyed.

"I'm sorry to inform you of this Your Highness, but Ambassador Falinir has escaped. He was somehow immune to my magical attack and used some sort of invisibility spell to run away," confessed Henantil.

"Well find him, you fool!" shouted Warundil standing up, "Go to the docks before he escapes!"

"I already searched the only Valenwood ship at the dock, but he wasn't there," said Henantil, "I now wonder if he might be on his way here, to retrieve Loac."

"Perhaps I should check on her," said Warundil scratching his chin.

Warundil walked up the winding staircase, closely followed by Henantil. He knocked on Loac's door and called out her name. There was only silence. Warundil sighed impatiently and unlocked the door. When he opened to door and looked inside he gasped from shock. Loac wasn't there! How could that Bosmer have freed her? The door hadn't been unlocked, and there were no windows. The fire was still roaring in the fireplace.

"She's gone?" asked Henantil in surprise.

"That damned Bosmer must be a powerful mage. I don't know how he did it! Come, let's go to the docks before it's too late. If word of my daughter's illegal pregnancy gets out, my reputation will be ruined!" said Warundil in anger.

They ran down the stairs and out the front door. Within seconds they were in Warundil's horse carriage and on their way to the docks. When they arrived, people there seemed surprised to see the High Wizard step out of the carriage. He normally avoided the docks, due to all the foreign races that traded wares there. Warundil and Henantil split up and began questioning people if they had seen Loac or Falinir. Henantil approached a gray-haired Altmer woman and asked her about them.

"How could I forget?" laughed the elderly Altmer woman, "The High Wizard's daughter was covered in black soot! Most bizarre! And the Bosmer man walking next to her had no shoes on. He sold his jacket to board a ship to Anvil. They left about half an hour ago."

"They're headed to Anvil!" shouted Henantil to Warundil, "They left only half an hour ago."

"Alright, my city guard ship should catch up to them in no time. I'll gather some of the city guardsmen and you can command them onboard the ship," said Warundil.

"What about you, sir?" asked Henantil.

"I don't want to draw too much attention to the matter. I leaving you in charge of this. Do not disappoint me, Henantil," said High Wizard Warundil, "Don't return until you've succeeded."

"I promise I will bring back your daughter safely, and see that the criminal Falinir is killed," said Henantil obediantly.

"Good," said Warundil.

Together they rallied several city guardsmen to the massive city guard ship and Henantil ordered the ship out to sea. Henantil told the ship's captain to chart a course in the direction of Anvil, and he knew that they would catch up to Loac and Falinir's ship within only an hour or two. It was just a matter of time.

Onboard the merchant ship to Anvil, Loac continued looking out at the sea. It seemed to go on forever. The dark waters were like a blanket stretching across the land as far as she could see. She couldn't even see the coast of Cyrodiil yet, let alone the docks of Anvil.

"What are we going to do when we get to Anvil? We don't have any money," said Loac, "How will we eat? Where will we sleep?"

"I don't know," replied Falinir, "If we can eventually get to the city of Falinesti in Valenwood, I have an old savings in the Bank of Valenwood that will be enough to pay for our wedding and a small house until I can find work. I remember two old friends of mine moved to Anvil years ago. If they're still there, perhaps we can find them and have a place to stay for the night. Maybe I can even borrow a pair of shoes for our journey on-foot to Valenwood."

"What if we can't find your old friends?" asked Loac.

Falinir sighed and said, "Then I suppose we'd have no choice but to join the Mage's Guild for a free place to stay, and perform some menial tasks for them to earn gold. Don't worry though. Once we get to Falinesti we'll have my savings and my family there. I shouldn't have any trouble finding work. My father became the Cheiftain of Falinesti two years ago. With my experience in political work I'll likely be able to get a position on his council once one becomes available. Everything will work out fine for us financially. I know it won't exactly be the luxurious life you're used to in your father's manor, but we'll live comfortably and be able to raise our child in peace. You'll get used to life in Falinesti eventually."

Suddenly a dark ship appeared on the horizon, just barely visible to Falinir's eyes. It was closing in fast towards them. Falinir grabbed a small silver telescope laying on a crate and looked out at the approaching ship. His face paled with fear.

"Oh no..." said Falinir.

"What is it?" asked Loac frantically.

"Pirates," he replied.

---------------------------------------------

_Just a little note from the author... I'm going to be working on some illustrations for this story over the next week or two, so there may be some waiting time between now and the next chapter update. The next update will include the illustration(s) as a link at the bottom of the page. _


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Arm yourselves men!" shouted the Redguard captain from the bow of the ship, "We're not giving up our wares without a fight!"

The human sailors drew their swords, and a few of them donned light armor. Loac saw a young frightened Altmeri woman crawl into a wooden crate on deck and hide. The mer's travelling companion, a male Altmer, nervously held out a magical staff in preparation for battle. He looked to be just a simple merchant passenger without any battle experience. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his hands quivered in fear.

"Quick! We should hide below deck," said Falinir to Loac.

As Falinir and Loac ran for the open door to go below deck, a barrage of arrows darted through the sky from the pirate vessel. One struck the Redguard captain in the neck, and blood spurted down his shirt to his feet. As he fell dying, another arrow struck him in the chest. Sailor after sailor fell to his death from the arrows before the pirates had even boarded the ship.

Loac and Falinir rushed down the stairs and into one of the small rooms below deck. They hid in the cramped dark space behind a pile of wooden barrels and storage crates. Above them they could hear the muffled sounds of people fighting and shouting. Loac clung tightly to Falinir. Suddenly the door to their room burst open. A Bosmeri pirate clad in torn leather armor entered and began rifling through the crates. As he pulled down a barrel, he revealed Falinir's face from behind it.

"Get out of there!" ordered the pirate, "Give me your money or your life."

Falinir knew his pockets were empty except for his letter opener. He drew out the letter opener like a dagger and began slashing wildly at the air in front him.

"You stay away from me!" said Falinir.

The pirate laughed at the little letter opener and drew his longsword. As he was about to strike down Falinir, suddenly the pirate was hit by shock magic and knocked to the floor. Falinir turned around and saw Loac peering out from behind the crates in a magical attack stance. She had saved him. The pirate began to stand up and Loac knocked him down again with another blast of magic.

"You're as good as dead, woman! I'm going to gut you like a fish!" shouted the pirate from the ground as Loac knocked him down again and again. Her magic was too weak to cause him any serious harm, but it was enough to keep him on the ground. Falinir grabbed Loac's hand and ran past the slightly injured pirate. They began sprinting for the stairs.

"You know a spell that will allow us to breathe underwater, right?" asked Falinir with urgency.

"Yes, but I don't know how to swim," said Loac, "And we must be two miles from the coast!"

"I'll swim us there, and you cast," said Falinir, as he bounded up the stairs.

"We'll never make it!" said Loac, "No one can swim for two miles!"

"If we remain here we'll never make it. As long as we can breathe underwater, then it won't matter if I rest along the way," said Falinir.

He swung open the door and they ran out on deck. Loac gasped at the bloodbath before her. Sailors were dead everywhere, and the pirates were looting the bodies. She noticed the Altmer who had seemed so nervous before was now lying dead in a pool of blood. A pirate was carrying the mer's magical staff like a trophy. Another Bosmer pirate was holding up the dress skirt of the female Altmer who had hidden in a crate. As he violated her, she cried out for her dead husband. The whole scene was too much for Loac to bear. She looked out at the vast sea in tears, and saw another ship approaching.

"That's a Summerset Isle guard ship! They're coming to save us from the pirates!" said Loac as she waved her arms at the distant ship, "But why are they stopping?"

"It's that foolish treaty! We've crossed the border into Cyrodiilic waters. There's nothing the Summerset Isle guards can do," said Falinir as he pulled Loac to the edge of the ship in preparation to jump.

Meanwhile, onboard the guard ship Henantil angrily scowled at the captain and said, "What is this? Why are we turning around? Do not tell me you're afraid of pirates!"

"Not in the least," said the captain, "See that rock jutting out of the water there? That marks the sea border of Cyrodiil. Their ship has crossed over into Cyrodiil's waters. There's a new treaty in effect that punishes soldiers with jail time if they attempt to pursue criminals across sea borders. If you still wish to chase them into Cyrodiil, you'll have to go back to Summerset Isle and board a merchant ship by yourself. I'm not going to get my whole crew thrown into a jail for breaking interprovincial law."

"This is ridiculous! We're so close!" shouted Henantil, "Wait! I see them! They're... By the Divines! They're jumping into the sea! They're swimming for Anvil!"

Henantil aimed his hands to send a magical attack at Falinir, but soon decided it was too risky. He might accidentally hit Loac from such a vast distance. He would have no choice but to go back to Summerset Isle and board a common merchant ship to Anvil. Perhaps if Loac and Falinir stayed the night in Anvil, he might still have a chance of catching up to them. He bared his teeth in anger, and watched Loac and Falinir grow farther and farther away as his guard ship headed back to Alinor in defeat.

Loac gasped for breath and held on tightly as Falinir dragged her through the cold sea waters. The waves lifted them back and forth while Falinir struggled against the awkward currents to keep moving in the direction of Anvil. After an hour of swimming hard, Falinir began dropping under the surface of the water in weakness. Loac cast the underwater breathing spell on Falinir and then herself. As they fell deeper and deeper into the dark depths of the sea Loac opened her eyes in the salty water. Below her, it was a whole other world. Pink and orange coral covered the sea floor like a forest, and schools of rainbow colored fish swam around her without fear. Two male crabs were wrestling on the sand below, while a lighter colored female crab stood aside. In the distance, Loac saw the unmistakable dark shape of a massive whale.

"This is amazing," she said to Falinir with a smile.

He was still out of breath from his arduous swim, and just nodded his head in silent agreement. As the spell began to wear off, Loac cast it again repeatedly, until Falinir regained the strength to swim onward. While Loac held on, he swam back up to the surface and continued with all of his strength in the direction of Anvil. By the time they finally dragged themselves onto the beach it was sunset. Every muscle in Falinir's body ached and burned. He layed on the sand and looked up at the pink dusk sky, letting his aching body feel the relief of finally being on land. He wondered if he'd even be able to stand up. Loac stood effortlessly and looked at the nearby dock of Anvil.

"We made it!" she said excitedly.

"Yes..." said Falinir with a cough, "We made it."

_A note from the author: I just finished an illustration of the characters in this story. It's at Deviantart. _


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Loac helped Falinir stand up and they slowly began walking towards the town. They treaded along the wooden dock past groups of sailors, and through the large oaken city gate. Loac marveled at the sight of the city of Anvil. Chipped white plaster covered the old stone buildings all around her. Every building looked similar, with the same turquoise painted doors and clay-colored ceramic tile roofs. She could hear the cries of sea birds overhead, and the whole town had the faint salty odor of the sea. Loac reached out to hold Falinir's hand, and he winced from the pain of his broken finger.

"You should really go see a healer," said Loac with concern, "It looks like it's getting worse."

"I think that's the Chapel of Dibella over there," said Falinir pointing to a large building that towered above the others.

They walked together to the front of the chapel and entered inside. There were rows of empty wooden benches on either side of the large room, and tall ornate stained glass windows along the stone walls showed a picture of each of the Nine Divines. At the very end of the chapel hall was a cylindrical white altar. A Redguard woman with long wiry gray hair stood by the altar with a friendly smile.

"Hello, pilgrims. I'm Trevaia, Priestess of Dibella and Chapel Healer. Is there anything I can help you with?" said the Redguard with a soothing monotone voice. She sounded as if she was rehearsing a line she said to everyone throughout the day.

Falinir held out his broken finger. It was now swollen and purple with bruising.

"Oh my, you poor dear," said Trevaia, "I'll fix that right up."

She waved her hand, casting a powerful restoration spell over Falinir. The blue light of her spell slowly encircled his whole body with a spiral. As the magical light faded away he felt as good as new. He wasn't even aching anymore from his long swim.

"Thank you muchly, Priestess", said Falinir, "I'd normally give a donation to the chapel for your kind help, but I unfortunately lost all of my money today."

"Don't worry about it. My services are free to all, including beggars," said Trevaia looking at Falinir's bare feet, messy hair, and tattered wet clothing. Loac didn't look much better in her filthy soot-stained wet dress.

Falinir ignored the "_beggar_" remark and asked, "I was wondering... I'm looking for two old friends of mine. They're brothers named Maenlorn and Caenlorn. I believe they moved up to Anvil sixteen years ago to open a business."

"Yes, I know of them. They have a tavern at the docks called The Flowing Bowl. Great food there," said Trevaia.

"Thank you again, Priestess!" said Falinir with a smile, "Oh, and one more thing. If any Altmer come here looking for me or my lady friend, could you please tell them you haven't seen us?"

"My lips are sealed," said Trevaia waving goodbye, "May the Nine Divines guide you safely on your travels."

As they walked through the Anvil streets back towards the dock, Loac looked at the wide variety of townsfolk. It seemed members of every race lived there together in harmony.

"Is being in a interracial relationship considered normal here?" asked Loac, "We could hold hands in public without any problem?"

"It might turn a few heads and give people something to gossip about, but it's perfectly legal," said Falinir.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and held Loac's face, pulling her lips to meet his in a kiss. They stood in the center of town, basking in their new-found freedom. Passersby turned their heads and stopped to stare at the odd couple kissing. One man walked right into a wall as he was staring, and Loac could hear someone giggling in the distance. Falinir slowly pulled back and looked into Loac's green eyes. Then he took her arm in his and they continued walking together toward the dock.

They finally reached The Flowing Bowl, and stepped inside. The small tavern had a slight odor of stale beer, and smoke from the fireplace. Falinir immediately recognized his old friend Maenlorn behind the small bar. He was pouring a glass of cheap wine for a shirtless Argonian sailor. He hadn't changed much in the past 16 years since Falinir had last seen him. The only noticable difference was his shiny gray hair. Falinir approached his old friend.

"By the Nine! Falinir?! Is that you?" asked Maenlorn in shock.

"It certainly is. How have you been, old friend?" said Falinir.

"The Gods have been good to me, but what's become of you? It looks like you just washed up from a shipwreck! Last I heard from you, you were moving to Silvenar as an advisor to the Silvenar," said Maenlorn.

"Well, it's a long story..." said Falinir. Sailors gathered around as he recounted his tale of becoming ambassador, meeting Loac, escaping from Henantil's torture chamber, being attacked by pirates, and finally swimming to Anvil.

"That's quite an adventure you've been through! How about a drink and a nice hot meal for you and your lady friend? Don't worry, it's on the house," said Maenlorn as he uncorked a bottle of Jagga.

"Thank you, brother Bosmer," said Falinir, "I hate to suddenly ask for a favor like this, but we also have no where to stay for the night."

"You can stay in my room upstairs," said Maenlorn, "I'll sleep on a blanket down here in the bar. After what you've just been through, you should have a bed to sleep in."

"Thank you so much," said Loac, "We're truely indebted to you."

Maenlorn served them two large cuts of beef, and they ate amongst the noisy banter of the sailors and drunkards in the dark tavern. After eating, their fatigue from the long day caught up with them, and they went upstairs and entered Maenlorn's room. It was exceedingly small, no larger than a closet. The wooden walls were windowless and bare, and the only furniture was a tiny bed with a storage chest at the foot of it. An old stitched-up brown blanket was neatly laying on top of the bed, and served as the only bedding for the hard straw mattress. Loac noticed a roach crawling along the floor and she jumped. Falinir seemed unfazed by the roach, and layed down on the bed with a yawn. He held out his open arms to Loac, and she reluctantly layed down on the dirty bed as well. The only way they both fit was to hold eachother tightly. The ruckus and drunken talking from the tavern below sounded as if it was happening right next to Loac's ears. She closed her eyes, but doubted that she'd ever be able to fall asleep in such a place.

Meanwhile, an Altmer merchant ship pulled into the dock, and Henantil hastily deboarded. He walked right past The Flowing Bowl and into town. He held his nose up and sneered at any humans or beggars who tried to greet him as he briskly made his way to the Chapel of Dibella. Upon entering the chapel, he noticed there was a lone woman standing there.

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for my, uh... _friends_...perhaps you've seen them today?" asked Henantil, "One is a young brunette Altmer woman in a blue dress, the other is a black-haired Bosmer with no shoes on. He may have come in here to cure a broken finger and a burned foot. It's urgent that I know where they are."

"I'm sorry, but they're not here," said Trevaia in her slow monotonous voice.

Henantil pursed his lips in anger, and dropped a large 100-gold coin into the donation box. He held out another coin in his hand.

"Are you quite certain you didn't see them?" said Henantil, "I'm sure my friend would have gotten his broken finger healed today."

"Thank you for your donation," said Trevaia without another word.

Henantil lost his patience with the woman and grabbed her by the throat, "Listen Human, I'm not here to play your games! I know they came in here today, now tell me where they are!"

Trevaia choked and gagged as he lifted her off the ground by her neck. She barely managed to whisper out, "I'll... tell...you..."

Henantil dropped her and she fell onto the floor in a slump. She rubbed her neck and gasped for air. Henantil glared down at her and she looked up at him with fear in her dark eyes.

"Alright... They were in here a few hours ago. The Bosmer was looking for Maenlorn and Caenlorn, and asked me where they were. I told him to go to The Flowing Bowl at the docks," said Trevaia.

"Thank you," said Henantil as he retrieved his 100-gold coin back out of the donation box and silently left the chapel.

After Henantil left, Trevaia stood up to call the guards, then quickly changed her mind. The man who attacked her could easily be an assassin working for the Dark Brotherhood, and if that was the case she wanted nothing to do with it. She decided it was best to simply stay out of the matter. She knelt down at side of the altar and whispered a heartfelt prayer for the two travelers whose lives were now in danger.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Henantil swiftly strode through the dark moonlit streets of Anvil. Within moments he arrived at the docks and spotted a small wooden sign that read "The Flowing Bowl". Without hesitation, he entered the noisy candlelit tavern and surveyed the room surrounding him. The bartender was wiping a plate with a dirty rag while shabby-looking sailors sat at the old wooden tables drinking. The conversation grew quiet and several heads turned to look at Henantil. A fancy-dressed Altmer entering a paltry sailor's tavern wasn't a sight they saw everyday. A beautiful Nord woman particularly took notice of Henantil and eyed his fancy clothing with a look of lust. She seductively sauntered over to him.

The woman playfully stroked Henantil's chest and said, "I haven't seen you here before. Aww, and you're all alone too. How sad. I'm Signy. Me and my friend Faustina are lonely too, and we've been looking for someone. We have a cozy farmhouse with a nice soft bed not far from here, where we could get to know each other much, much better."

Henantil shoved her hand away, "You honestly think a mer of my race and status would want to go to bed with a couple of lowly human harlots? The very idea of it makes me want to vomit!"

She looked embarrassed by his response.

Henantil curled his lips into a smile and added, "Pitiful creature. I suppose I can't blame you for trying. It must be every human woman's dream to bed a sophisticated Altmer."

Signy seductively replied, "Well, if you change your mind, and I hope you will, meet us in the farmhouse just outside of town at eleven o'clock. I promise you a night of fun you won't soon forget."

Henantil sneered at the desperate woman's offer and walked towards the bartender. Perhaps the bartender knew where Loac and Falinir were.

"It's a good thing you rejected Signy over there. I have a feeling she would've robbed you blind," said Maenlorn, "So what can I get for you, my good mer?"

"Oh, yes... I'm looking for my _friends_," said Henantil with a smile.

Up in the tiny bedroom above the tavern, Loac tossed and turned uncomfortably in the small Bosmer-sized bed. She finally stood up and walked towards the door. Falinir glanced at her with a puzzled look.

"I can't sleep. I'm going downstairs for a glass of water," said Loac.

"I'll be here waiting for you," said Falinir. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

As Loac reached the bottom of the staircase she froze in fear. Turning around, she tried to quietly walk back up to her room, but it was too late. Henantil had his green eyes fixed upon her.

"Loac, I'd like to have a word with you," said Henantil.

Loac reluctantly walked over and stood in front of him.

"I've chosen exile," said Loac, "There's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise. Please, Henantil, just leave me here in peace. Tell my father I drowned at sea."

"You're speaking nonsense. Who in their right mind would choose to live among inferiors like these people? Come back to Summerset Isle with me, Loac. You don't want to be stuck in exile from proper civilization for the rest of your life. Why throw your life away for that little Bosmer? Everyone in this tavern would say I'm better looking than him. I'm more handsome than anyone in this entire city! Women have been throwing themselves at me here..." bragged Henantil.

"It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, Henantil. On the inside, you're an ugly horrible person and I will never love you," said Loac bluntly.

"Then I suppose we're going to have to do this the hard way," said Henantil angrily raising his fist at Loac, "I made a promise to the High Wizard. You're coming back with me, whether you like it or not. I might have allowed Falinir to live, had you agreed to come back with me willingly. Now I see it's going to take killing him to get you to come to your senses."

"No!" said Loac, as Henantil tightly grabbed her arm.

Suddenly Henantil felt something uncomfortably poking his lower back. Maenlorn held his sharp dinner knife steady, almost piercing Henantil's skin. Across the room Caenlorn and a Bosmer sailor grabbed knives from their tables and pointed them at Henantil.

"No one is killing any innocent person in my tavern. Let her go now, or I'll put this knife into your back," said Maenlorn sternly.

Henantil released his grip on Loac's arm, and slowly stepped towards the door. He pretended to reach for the door handle, then suddenly swung his arm forward and launched a fireball at Maenlorn. Maenlorn instantly collapsed to the ground in excruciating pain. Another fire spell from Henantil killed him on the spot. His corpse burned black in the magical flames.

"Brother! No!" shouted Caenlorn in anguish. He screamed in fury and rushed at Henantil with his knife. Henantil struggled with him and finally managed to aim a close range magical attack, knocking him to the ground.

"You cut my finest suit! Little bastard!" said Henantil kicking the unconscious Caenlorn.

The Bosmer sailor across the room lowered his knife and decided it wasn't worth dying to get in a barfight with a powerful mage. Everyone else in the tavern stared at the scene before them in horror, but did nothing. While Henantil looked angrily at his slashed jacket sleeve, Loac ran up the stairs to her room and opened her door. Falinir was softly snoring in the little bed.

Loac shook him awake and whispered, "Quick! Turn invisible and jump out the window in the hall. Henantil is here!"

Falinir jumped out of bed and immediately turned himself invisible. As he stepped out into the hall and opened the window, Loac heard his voice whisper, "What about you?"

Loac didn't have a chance to reply. Henantil ran past her and looked into the small bedroom.

"Where's Falinir?" asked Henantil.

"He drowned trying to swim to Anvil. I'm alone here," said Loac unconvincingly.

"Don't lie to me, Loac. A Redguard already told me she saw him," said Henantil as he searched.

Henantil noticed the open hall window and looked outside.

"Falinir! Where are you, you coward?" he shouted as he fired magical attacks out the window. The fire hit nothing but the empty dock.

In frustration, Henantil turned to Loac and said, "Well, at least I still have you. That coward of a Bosmer seems to have abandoned you. Just stick to that story about him drowning, when your father asks what happened."

Henantil grabbed her arm and forcefully began dragging Loac down the stairs. Falinir stood silent and invisible in the hallway. He would never allow Henantil to take Loac back to Summerset Isle, but he wasn't sure what to do. If he tried to attack Henantil, his invisibility spell would immediately stop working and he would be killed for certain. He quietly followed them down to the tavern, and tried to hold back from muttering a sound as his eyes were drawn to the burnt corpse of his old friend Maenlorn. Beside Maenlorn, laid his brother Caenlorn with a knife still grasped in his hand. Falinir was not sure if Caenlorn was dead as well, or simply unconscious.

Suddenly three heavily-armed town guards burst through the door and shouted to Henantil, "Stop! You violated the law! Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence, murderer!"

Henantil noticed the tavern was now empty. One of the sailors must have snitched to the town guard.

"How much of a fine?" sighed Henantil as he released Loac's arm to dig through his coinpurse. Loac seized the moment of freedom and fled out of the tavern. She raced along the dock, toward the dark forest at the edge of town. Henantil angrily watched her leave, knowing he couldn't follow her until he paid the hefty fine for the murder he had commited.

"Wait for me!" shouted Falinir running behind Loac. His invisibility spell wore off and he joined her side, sprinting through the dark forest at night.

Henantil paid the guards 1000 gold septims and ran out of the tavern. In the distance he saw Loac and Falinir disappear into the shadows of the adjacent forest. He darted after them, running as swiftly as he could, but when he reached the forest they were no where in sight. They had escaped him, yet again. He stood against a tree and thought hard about the situation, desperate for a solution. Returning to High Wizard Warundil empty-handed was definitely not an option. Perhaps a dog could follow their trail, he thought to himself. But for that to work, he'd need something that belonged to either Loac or Falinir for the dog to get the proper scent. Then he remembered, Falinir's shoes were still in his basement! If he went back to Summerset Isle and retrieved the shoes, he could purchase a dog to follow their trail in the morning. It would be a minor setback, but he was certain he would catch up to them eventually.

Deep within the forest, Loac and Falinir had slowed down to a walking pace. Falinir led the way southward, in the direction of Valenwood. He seemed to have a natural sense of direction and comfort with being in a forest setting, even in the darkness of night. The howling of nearby wolves and other nocturnal beasts frightened Loac. As something scurried along the forest floor nearby she screamed.

"You have nothing to worry about, my love. Henantil will never find us out here," said Falinir.

"I can hear the beasts of the forest," whispered Loac.

Suddenly, from out of the shadows leapt a massive brown bear. It snarled menacingly, baring it's large white fangs. Sharp black claws slashed through the air as it barreled towards Loac.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 **

Loac screamed as the bear knocked her over and raised its claws. Suddenly, a green ball of light shot out of Falinir's small hands and hit the creature. A spiral of green smoke swirled above the bear and settled down upon it, bathing the bear in a soft green light. The confused bear calmly stood above Loac and licked her face like a tame dog. It's eyes bore the empty look of someone in a deep hypnotic state.

"By Mara! What spell was that?!" asked Loac as she stood back up and brushed the dirt off of her clothing, "I thought the only magic you knew was invisibility."

"Quick, let's go! I'll explain later. The spell only lasts for a minute," sputtered Falinir, as he held Loac's hand and swiftly led her away from the bear.

They left the hypnotized bear and ran through the dark forest, scrambling over fallen logs, and pushing twisted tree branches out of their way. Once Falinir felt they were at a sufficient distance he sat down on a large round granite rock and examined a thorn half-embedded in his muddy bare foot. His tired face winced as he plucked out the thorn and let small droplets of blood trickle onto the dirt below. Loac sat down next to him and softly rubbed his foot.

"How did you tame that bear? I've never seen such a spell performed before," she asked.

"I never thought to mention it earlier because it's an ability that all Bosmer are born with. Even small children can cast it. We call it Beast Tongue. It'll tame most wild creatures for about a minute. It's very useful in Valenwood, where there are a lot of dangerous beasts. Quite a shame it doesn't last longer though. Having a tame bear around to defend us would be nice," said Falinir.

"You saved me back there," said Loac. She sighed and added, "Today has been the most utterly frightening day of my life."

Falinir slid down off the rock, and relaxed on his back in the dirt. His head rested upon a herb-scented tuft of grass and he looked up at the star-filled sky.

"It's been a long day for me too. Why don't we sleep now and start anew in the morning?" said Falinir, as he made himself comfortable in the dirt.

Loac looked at Falinir in his bed of dirt, somewhat appalled by such an uncivilized act.

"You're asking me to sleep on the ground? Outside? Are you serious?" asked Loac with a sneer.

Loac was usually open-minded and humble compared to the rest of her race, but Falinir knew her Altmer upbringing still was a part of her and influenced her from time to time. This was apparently one of those moments.

"It's a three day walk to Falinesti, and there are no inns along the way. We need to sleep sometime. Look at how tired you are," said Falinir.

"But- but, we can't just sleep in the dirt like animals," laughed Loac nervously.

"What would you have me do? Steal an inn and carry it with me? We have no money and we can't walk for days without sleep," replied Falinir, "Look at the stars above, and the beautiful wild trees surrounding you. Listen to the sound of the creek and the chirping crickets. The song of the forest is like a peaceful lullaby. The forest is a beautiful place to sleep. I used to nap out in the woods a lot when I was a boy. It's not bad at all. You'll fall asleep in no time."

Falinir reached out to Loac with an inviting smile, and she reluctantly laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest. She shivered in the cold night air and held him close as she drifted off to sleep. Her sleeping face looked sad and worn, and it made Falinir feel guilty. He knew a pregnant woman should not have to sleep in the dirt. She had given up such a privileged life just to be with him, and he wanted her to be happy. He hoped she would be cheerful again once they reached Falinesti.

- - - - - - - - - -

A well-dressed servant stood patiently outside High Wizard Warundil's estate. The sun was rising in the pale morning sky, and a courier approached on horseback. He quickly handed the servant a bundle of mail along with the _Summerset Isle Courier _news scroll. The courier had an odd smirk as he handed the news to Warundil's servant. It seemed strange, and out of curiousity the servant unrolled the scroll and read the news headline. His eyes widened at the sight of the words and he quickly rolled the scroll back up. The High Wizard would most definitely not be pleased. He briskly walked up the steps to his master's manor and went back inside. Warundil glanced up from his morning tea and said, "Mindil, please bring the mail over to the table."

"Yes, High Wizard," said the servant as he set the mail bundle on the table in front of Warundil.

"What's that in your other hand? The _Summerset Isle Courier_?" asked Warundil as he sipped his tea.

"Yes, sir," said Mindil handing it over with a nervous expression.

Warundil unrolled the scroll and read the headline. He jumped out of his chair spilling his hot tea down the front of his pants. The headline read:

_Summerset Isle in Shock! High Wizard's Daughter Pregnant with a Bosmer Child!_

Warundil read through the rest of the article. The writer questioned his ability to be High Wizard if he "_could not even raise his child properly_". There were testimonies of people who had heard Loac "_screaming through the streets like a madwoman, telling everyone about her illegal pregnancy_." One anonymous resident was quoted as saying, _"This could cost the High Wizard his position. The people won't stand for the father of an insane criminal holding power. It's an embarrassment to all of Alinor."_

Warundil crumpled up the embarrassing news scroll and threw it hard at his servant's feet. He turned to one of his guards and angrily said, "I want you to wait at the docks. If you see any sight of Henantil I want him brought here immediately!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Henantil yawned and blinked his tired eyes at the rising sun in the distance. The merchant ship he had boarded rocked back and forth on the choppy sea, and slowly pulled alongside the Alinor docks. He stepped down the wooden deboarding ramp and began walking in the direction of his house to retrieve Falinir's shoes.

"Henantil?" said a soft voice from behind him.

Henantil turned to see Warundil's well-dressed servant and replied, "Yes Mindil? Does the High Wizard wish to speak with me?"

"Right away, sir," said Mindil as he gestured towards a waiting horse carriage.

Henantil held back a sigh of frustration and boarded the fancy carriage. He really didn't have time for this. He needed to catch up to Loac and Falinir before they got away. Mindil climbed into the coachman's seat and snapped the reins to quickly depart for Warundil's manor. They pulled to a stop at their destination, and Henantil quickly walked up the ornately carved steps. Mindil held the door for him and led him to the High Wizard. Warundil was seated in a tall chair by the fireplace. Henantil noticed he wore an angry expression and held a crumpled news scroll tightly in his hand.

"You wish to speak with me, High Wizard?" asked Henantil nervously.

"I see you have returned empty-handed," said Warundil with a cold stare.

Henantil quickly replied, "They slipped away into the woods, but they're still within my grasp. I plan to track them down with a dog. I just need Falinir's shoes and..."

Warundil angrily thrusted the news scroll at Henantil's chest.

"Read it!" ordered Warundil sternly.

Henantil's eyes darted back and forth as he read through the whole damning article. Then he looked up at Warundil with a timid expression.

"You've failed me, Henantil, and your incompetence has cost me my reputation. You are hereby banished from Summerset Isle," said Warundil.

"Banished?!" gasped Henantil. Such a fate was worse than death to a sophisticated Altmer.

"Mindil will escort you to your house to pack a bag, and then you will board the next ship to Cyrodiil. I never want to see your face here again," ordered Warundil.

"No! Please! Please have mercy, Your Highness! I can still find them!" pleaded Henantil. He dropped to his knees at Warundil's feet.

Warundil turned away and said, "Be gone with you."

At that, Henantil hung his head low in submission and followed Mindil back to the horse carriage. In silence he rode to his house, and walked inside. Mindil handed him an empty wool sack, the only luggage with which he could pack a few of his belongings. Henantil looked around at all of his exquisite possessions. Almost everything would have to be left behind. He longingly touched his beautiful furniture. His sofas were upholstered with the finest silk. In the dining room, velvet-lined chairs surrounded his ornately carved gold-inlaid wooden table, set with gold silverware for four. Upon the smaller tables in Henantil's sitting room sat every number of rare curiousities- Ayleid artifacts, rare gems, and jewel encrusted weapons, all set out as a display of wealth and status. In the corner of the room, even Henantil's chamberpot was plated with silver and rubies. And upon the wall hung Henantil's favorite possession- a beautifully detailed oil painting of himself, commissioned from the most skilled artist in Alinor. In the painting, he wore formal mage's robes as a symbol of his skill in the arcane art of magic. His windswept hair flowed back upon the robe and he wore a proud smile. The superb detail made the portrait almost look alive, and the gold trimmed frame perfectly completed it.

All of these possesions gave Henantil his status and worth in Altmer society, and he had worked his whole life to attain them. Leaving them behind meant not only discarding his life's work, but throwing away his status as well. These things were more than just mere possessions. They made Henantil who he was. With them, he was an elite member of society. Without them, he was nobody and nothing.

Upon the floor in his sitting room sat Falinir's trunk. Henantil scooped gold septims out by the handful and into his bag. The bag was now full. He stood up and glanced around again at his exquisite house. It was likely the last time he'd ever see it. Then Henantil did something he hadn't done since he was a small child. He wept.

_"Am I really destined to live out the rest of my days among lowly humans?" _he thought to himself. He imagined the disgusting unsophisticated humans he had encountered back in Anvil. The mere thought of it was too much to bear. He felt frantic and dazed. How could this have happened to him? The tears flowed freely from his eyes. He could not live in exile. He had to do something to fix this situation and restore Warundil's shattered reputation. He had to carry out his mission and bring Loac home. A simple story that she had been drugged or magically charmed against her will by Falinir could explain away her recent bizarre behavior, and perhaps replace the people's disapproval of the High Wizard with sympathy and renewed faith. It was a slim chance, but it was all he had. It would be tricky to convince Loac to go along with the story though. Threatening to kill Falinir if she didn't play along might be effective, thought Henantil to himself. Falinir could be kept as a prisoner indefinitely to make sure she behaved. Having Loac see her precious Bosmer in shackles would certainly ensure her obedience.

Henantil unlocked his basement door and walked down the stairs. On the floor were Falinir's shoes, just where he had left them. He grabbed the shoes and went back upstairs. He dried his eyes and stepped out the door. Within the hour he was on board a ship headed for Anvil. His face was filled with utter determination. He would track down Loac and Falinir or die trying.

--

_Note from the author: There's a wonderful new illustration to this story- Check out GenocidalSmasher's gallery over on DeviantArt. Thank you Genocidalsmasher! _:)


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Loac awoke to the sound of birds chirping in the trees overhead. The morning air felt cool and a low foggy mist covered the forest floor like a light blanket. She lifted her head off of Falinir's chest and rubbed her aching neck and back.

"Morning already?" said Falinir as he blinked and looked up at the sky, still laying on his back.

"My back is so sore," said Loac as she stood up. She moaned with pain and stretched out her arms.

"Mine as well," said Falinir, brushing the dirt off of his clothing, "But we should continue onward. I don't want Henantil to find us."

Falinir stood up and began walking southeast followed closely by Loac. The woods around them became increasingly dense and harder to traverse. Massive trees stretching overhead covered the entire forest in shadows that danced in the breeze. The trees and other foliage grew so close together it was difficult to see more than twenty paces ahead. Loac stumbled over a fallen log hidden under the deep cover of leaves on the forest floor and cried out, "The forest has gotten so thick!"

Falinir helped her up and said, "We've crossed the border into Valenwood."

Loac gazed at the lush green forest around her with renewed interest. So this was Valenwood. The forest was so much more wild and untouched than the woods of Summerset Isle. The trees were enormous, with trunks covered in green moss and phophorescent molds, and vines that draped down from the branches above. Patches of wildflowers and giant mushrooms added vibrant color all around Loac. There was the constant sound of birds and other wildlife in the trees. And at Loac's feet was at least a hundred years worth of fallen leaves piled into a thick blanket over the ground like snow. The forest smelled like a mixture of flowers and fresh-picked herbs. Falinir continued onward without a trail to guide him, and Loac followed close behind often stumbling as she went.

As they reached a clearing, suddenly Falinir froze in his tracks and pulled Loac down behind the trunk of a large mossy tree. Loac glanced around the tree, and in the distance saw a band of large cat-like figures leaping through the tree canopies like monkeys. She started to ask Falinir what the creatures were, and he quickly covered her mouth. One of the shadowy figures paused and turned his large pointed ears in the direction of Loac's voice. It leapt to the ground and swiftly crept forward, sniffing at the air. Its body was covered in thick fur that bristled up as he stepped closer to the tree that Loac and Falinir were hiding behind. Loac held her breath in fear. The creature's golden-yellow eyes surveyed the forest around him for any sign of life. He held his paw over the hilt of his sword in anticipation. Suddenly a bird flew out of the thick bushes and averted his attention. Satisfied that the sounds had just been a bird, he leapt back into the treetops to follow his brethren off into the distance.

"That was close," said Falinir with a sigh of relief.

"What kind of mountain lion carries a sword?" asked Loac in shock, "Was that a Khajiit? One of the cat people from the province of Elsweyr?"

"Those were Cathay-Raht. They're related to the Khajiit, but uncivilized and dangerous. They attack and rob any travellers they come across. They're really a nuisance around northern Valenwood, but as long as we stay off the main road we can most likely avoid being detected by them or any other bandits," said Falinir.

Falinir held Loac's hand and quietly led her onward. They had walked not ten paces when suddenly the band of Cathay-Raht jumped down from the treetops and surrounded them. The largest of them stood forward, knife in hand, and said in a thick accent, "Your valuables or your life."

Falinir immediately unclasped the ruby engagement necklace from his neck and handed it over without a word of protest. Loac held longingly onto her necklace, and a Cathay-Raht grabbed her by the throat and forcefully removed it.

"A pleasure doing business with you," said the large Cathay-Raht with a laugh. The others in his band laughed as well, as they leapt back into the treetops with their new loot.

"Our engagement necklaces!" said Loac in grief.

"Those necklaces just saved our lives again," said Falinir, "If we didn't have anything of value to give to the Cathay-Raht, they would have killed us."

Loac looked down sadly at the ground. The necklace had meant a great deal to her. It was a symbol of their engagement.

"Don't be sad. I'll buy us new engagement necklaces in Falinesti," said Falinir, "Everything will be fine once we get there. You'll see."

He reassuringly held her hand. Loac looked down at his cheerful face and felt better. Falinir was always so optimistic, no matter what happened.

They continued onward through the forest together and made sure to avoid the road. The heat of midday grew immense and took it's toll on their bodies. When Falinir heard the gurgling sound of a nearby creek they both stopped to cool off with a much needed drink. Loac was so thirsty, she didn't even complain that this was the first time she had ever drank anything without a cup.

To Falinir's surprise she said, "This tastes even more fresh and pure than the water in Alinor."

Falinir had to agree. Fresh stream water always tasted better than well water. He missed the taste of the water in his homeland, and drank it eagerly. Loac noticed there was a patch of wild strawberries growing near the stream. She suddenly realized how hungry she was and began picking the berries. Falinir stared at her picking berry after berry.

"I'm simply famished," said Loac, "Do you think these berries are fit to eat? I've never eaten any food from the wild before."

"They look just like the berries sold at the marketplace in Alinor," said Falinir.

Loac began eating them, and to her delight they tasted good. She offered a handful of the berries to Falinir and he stepped back.

"You know I am carniverous, Loac," said Falinir, "It's sacreligious to my people to eat or harm any plants. It's strictly forbidden by the Green Pact."

"But won't you get hungry? You said yourself it's a three day journey to Falinesti," said Loac with concern, "There's no harm in eating just a few berries."

Falinir shook his head, "I'll try to find some game along the way I can eat. Perhaps a rat."

"A rat? By the Divines!" said Loac with a look of disgust.

Falinir laughed and said, "I suppose you've never eaten rat before."

"Of course not!" said Loac appalled at such an idea.

Falinir imagined a big roasted rat being served on the table of the High Wizard of Alinor, and the thought of it brought a smile to his face. Loac was in for a surprise when she would see the unique meats found in the marketplace of Falinesti.

After Loac had eaten her fill of strawberries, they continued walking for several more hours. Evening fell and the glow of the phosphorescent molds on the tree trunks lit their way. Fireflies danced with a golden glow around them, as the whole forest took on a different look in the night. It looked almost magical to Loac, like something out of a dream.

Falinir spotted a small secluded area and said, "We'll be safe to sleep here."

It was a grassy nook surrounded by tall thick bushes on all sides, making it unlikely for them to be noticed by beasts. The thin pale grass looked soft and inviting to Falinir after a long day of walking. As the stars began to light up the evening sky overhead, Loac and Falinir finally laid their tired bodies down for a long night's sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Henantil shoved his way past vines and brush. His newly purchased dog swiftly pulled him along the trail of Falinir's scent. As Henantil tripped over a gnarled tree root he cursed the Bosmer for keeping their province in such an undeveloped overgrown state. In his eyes, the Bosmer were the laziest people in all of Tamriel. He was angry with the humans in Anvil as well. They had vastly overcharged him for his supplies. Aside from the dog, he had also purchased shackles to hold Falinir, a shirt of mythril armor, food, and a sleeping bag to rest in. The greedy humans had charged him at least twice what the supplies were worth. Since he didn't have time to search around for a better price he had no choice but to pay them what they asked for.

While he was in Anvil he had also made the effort to stop by the Mage's Guild and ask if anyone knew a Detect Life spell. His search paid off when he found a man willing to teach him the spell for only 50 septims. A Detect Lifespell would show him Falinir's whereabouts even if Falinir used invisibility. Every living thing within 30 feet of Henantil would glow purple for a few seconds when he cast the spell. It would be very useful indeed.

As Henantil treaded further through the thick forest he heard voices shouting behind him. He turned to see the small band of Cathay-Raht quickly bound out of the trees with their blood-stained daggers drawn. Raising his hand, Henantil slaughtered them all with destruction magic before they could get even get close enough to demand his money. He had to laugh at their pathetic attempt to rob him. "What a foolish race", Henantil though to himself, "They attack and plunder people for a living, yet don't even bother to wear the slightest bit of armor into battle." Although they had delayed him a bit, he was pleased to find two valuable ruby necklaces on their bodies. He placed the necklaces in his woolen sack and let his dog continue to lead him toward Falinir.

The morning sun was masked by a shroud of dark clouds. Loac shivered in the cool morning air, and reached out for Falinir. When her hand reached nothing but grass she opened her eyes and saw him sitting by himself a few feet away from her. He looked lost in thought, and gazed down at the ground.

"You look troubled," said Loac.

"Oh, good morning," said Falinir, "I was just thinking about Maenlorn and Caenlorn."

"It was such a terrible thing to happen to such kind mer," said Loac sadly, "What I don't understand is why the guards didn't take Henantil to prison for what he did. The guards outnumbered him three to one."

"In Cyrodiil, murder is so commonplace it's punished with just a fine. Only those who can't pay are taken to prison. It's a sad testament to the amount of violence that goes on there," explained Falinir.

"That's awful," said Loac.

Falinir sighed and placed his head upon his hands, "If I hadn't asked Maenlorn for help, he'd still be alive. Henantil wouldn't have even gone to the Flowing Bowl if I hadn't been there."

"You mustn't blame yourself," said Loac. She sat down next to him and placed her hand upon his back lovingly.

"I'd known them since I was just a child. We were schoolboys together," said Falinir, "It will be hard to tell their family that Henantil killed them."

"You don't suppose Henantil will follow us all the way to Falinesti? Could even more people die?" asked Loac, "Will our child ever be safe?"

"My father is the Chieftain, remember? We have nothing to worry about. If Henantil ever dares to show his face in Falinesti, he'll be thrown in prison for all he's done. No amount of bribe money in all of Tamriel will be able to free him," said Falinir, "We'll be safe."

"How much farther until we reach there?" asked Loac.

"We've gone about a third of the way," said Falinir. He drew a little map in the dirt with his finger and explained, "There's Anvil, there's Falinesti, and here's where we are. If we just keep going southeast we'll get there probably by tomorrow evening, hopefully in time for dinner with my family."

"I can't wait," said Loac with a smile.

Falinir kissed her cheek and said, "I can't wait either."

The sky remained gloomy and dark as they continued walking southeast. Loac heard the distant low rumble of thunder.

"Looks like we might have a bit of rain," mused Falinir as he looked up at the darkening sky.

"I hope not," said Loac as she scrambled over a slippery moss-covered boulder, "This walk is hard enough as it is."

A young stag was startled out of hiding by the sound of Loac's voice, and it galloped foolishly into the open. Falinir eyed the deer hungrily and cast his Beast Tongue spell, in the hope of calming the animal long enough to slaughter it with his letter opener. The spell glanced off of a rock barely missing the deer, and the frightened animal dashed out of sight into the foliage.

"Ah... There goes my lunch," sighed Falinir, placing his letter opener back in his pocket.

The pangs of hunger were wearing on him, and now the chance at a nice cut of venison was lost. Suddenly he felt a drop of water hit his face. Then another. And another. Within seconds, the drops of rain had turned into a fierce downpour.

"By Mara! What a storm!" shouted Loac.

She tried to shield her head with a large leaf to no avail. In the distance she eyed a cave and eagerly ran towards it for relief from the downpour. When Falinir realized Loac was headed towards a cave he shouted at her to stop, but it was too late. She had already ventured inside. He immediately darted after her into the mouth of the cave and was surprised by what he saw inside. It was less like a cavern and more like a residence. The sparse candles throughout the dimly lit room revealed simple furnishings- tables, chairs, and bookcases full of books among other things. Loac pinched her nose at a stifling foul odor that permeated the dusty air. Turning her head, she discovered the source of the odor. In a small nook beside a cluster of stalagmites was a pile of skeletons, some of which still had rotting flesh under their blood-stained clothing.

"What is this place?" whispered Loac as Falinir joined her side.

Falinir whispered back, "You shouldn't have come in here. Caves are filled with all sorts of nasty creatures. We should leave before we're noticed."

In response to Falinir's voice, a chair creaked in the corner, and an odd Bosmer emerged from the shadows. Candlelight fell across his face, illuminating his features. His pale wrinkled cheeks were so sunken-in he looked corpse-like, and his eyes glowed red like fire. At first he looked surprised to see people in the cave. Then, like a guard on duty, he withdrew an ebony dagger and ran towards Loac and Falinir.

"By the Nine Divines! It's a vampire! Run!" shouted Falinir.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The vampire guardsman chased after Loac and Falinir as they fled. It was certainly odd to see strangers enter the well-hidden cave of his vampire coven. Few mortals had ever discovered the place over the years he'd lived there, and their pungent remains were now decomposing in the corner. The two new intruders were quite different in that they didn't look like vampire hunters or adventurers in search of treasure. They weren't even armed. They seemed more like travelers who had wandered off the road and gotten lost in the forest. It was an unfortunate and fatal mistake.

Normally the vampire guardsman and the other vampires who were sleeping further back in the cave didn't murder their prey. They would simply go to the main road in the darkness of night and feed on sleeping travelers in their tents without waking or killing them. However those who discovered the coven's secret location were a threat. The vampires couldn't risk letting them alert the town guards. The intruders would have to be killed. Since the Loac and Falinir were unarmed, the vampire guardsman didn't bother to wake the other vampires from their coffins. This matter could be handled easily by himself.

Loac wasted no time and sprinted out of the cave followed by Falinir. Falinir made a split-second decision to run in a different direction than Loac once they were outside. He hoped it would draw the vampire away from her and after him instead. He purposely limped a little, like live bait.

Once the vampire stepped outside and his eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight, he had to decide which of the two to follow first. The choice was simple. The short-legged barefoot Bosmer was the slower of the two, and knowing the Bosmeri affiniti and skill for hiding, the vampire didn't want to give him a chance to hide himself. He darted after Falinir with unnatural speed and agility, leaping over rocks and brambles like a lion. It had been several days since his last feeding and he could smell the sweet warm blood of his prey. His mouth salivated at the thought of draining the life out of this unfortunate Bosmeri man. The daylight slowly burned the vampire's sensitive skin, but the dark rain clouds and thick tree cover made it happen so slowly it was hardly any trouble to heal himself with weak restoration spells as he ran.

Adrenaline rushed through Falinir's veins as he stopped the fake limp and ran for his life. He now regretted his sedentary lifestyle and the unfit body it gave him. His muscles ached as he pushed them onward, running faster than he had ever run before. Sweat dropped from his brow. The vampire grew closer and closer behind him. Once Falinir felt he had led the vampire far enough away from Loac, he lifted his hand and cast invisibility as he ran. The spell fell over his body, making Falinir disappear before the vampire's eyes, and yet the vampire continued chasing him. No matter which way Falinir turned, the vampire followed unfazed. Finally he pounced upon Falinir, knocking him down onto the leaf-covered ground. A swift roll to the side saved Falinir from the vampire's dagger as it slammed downward, stabbing the wet leaves and dark muddy soil. He leapt to his feet and the chase continued.

Falinir glanced downward and immediately realized the reason why the vampire was able to chase him. Every step he took pressed down upon the fallen leaves or left impressions in the wet mud. Just when the situation looked hopeless, he looked to the east and saw the main road. Perhaps a passing guard or merchant caravan could protect him. At the very least, the cobblestone-covered road would not give away his position. He ran towards the main road with all his remaining strength, hoping that someone, anyone, would be there. When he reached it, he glanced both ways. It was empty. It was the only large road in all of Valenwood, and there was not a person in sight! The vampire hesitantly left the protective shade of the wood and crept out onto the long stone road in pursuit. The sky was much brighter here without the trees, and he grimaced in pain from the burning sensation on his skin. He cast another healing spell on himself and listened for the sound of Falinir's footsteps on the stones.

Falinir noticed a bridge further down the road and headed towards it. He had an idea. His invisibility spell wore off and the vampire darted after him at full speed. Once Falinir had crossed to the other side of the bridge, he cast invisibilty on himself again. Instead of continuing onward down the road, he quietly stepped back onto the bridge. When the vampire attempted to cross, a swift shove from invisible Falinir was all it took to push him over the side. The vampire let out a scream as he splashed into the water below. The usually tame river was now full due to the rain, and the strong currents and rapids swept the furious vampire downstream and out of Falinir's view within seconds. It would be miles before he would be able to pull himself out.

_Well that takes care of that_, thought Falinir to himself. He sat on the edge of the bridge and caught his breath. Now he needed to find Loac.

Loac stopped in her tracks. That scream... had it been Falinir or the vampire? She cupped her hand to her ear and strained to listen, but heard nothing more.

"Falinir! Falinir, answer me!" she shouted as loud as she could.

Nearly a mile away, Falinir knelt down at the river's edge and drank from the cool flowing water to quench his thrist before setting out to find Loac. The splashing rapids made such a noise it was all he could hear.

Loac paced nervously. Why didn't Falinir answer her? She had heard a far off scream, but still did not know if it had come from Falinir or the vampire. Her eyes welled with tears as she contemplated what could have happened to her lover. Falinir was unarmed and no match for a vampire's unnatural strength. He could certainly elude the vampire with invisibility, but he could never best it in battle. She thought to herself, how could he have made the vampire scream? The scream must have come from Falinir. She sat down on a rock and began to cry.

She was about to call out his name again, then thought better of it. It could lead the vampire or even Henantil straight to her. If Falinir had been able to answer her he would have done so already. For the safety of her unborn child, she stayed silent no matter how much it pained her to do so. If she were not pregnant, she would have run toward the scream even if it meant her death, like the time she jumped in front of the arrow. But the baby depended on her to stay safe. She needed to have faith in Falinir's ability to hide himself from danger. She thought about the situation and decided that Falinir was probably only being silent in order to hide from the vampire, and would be able to eventually meet up with her again in Falinesti or somewhere along the way. She held that hope in her heart as the rain poured down hard upon her, mixing with her tears. Standing up, she continued onward towards Falinesti alone. She remembered the map Falinir had drawn for her, and she hoped that she could find the city on her own.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Falinir stepped away from the river and glanced up the long winding main road. About thirty miles away, in the foggy distance he could see the tree city of Falinesti with it's massive branches stretching high into the sky. It had been eleven years since he last gazed upon the city of his birth, the day he told his parents of his ambassadorship to Summerset Isle. Looking at the massive tree brought back memories of his youth and a feeling of comfort. He never really felt at home in Summerset Isle. Valenwood was his true home.

He walked back along his path through the trees and sloping hillsides until he reached the entrance of vampire cave, then began walking in the direction Loac had run. Her tracks were being washed away by the rain, but were still barely visible enough to follow. He didn't want to call out her name because if she replied it could draw beasts or other dangers to her. He knew he'd catch up with her eventually, simply by following her trail.

As the day grew late, Loac began to worry about Falinir. It had been several hours since she had called out his name and still there was no reply. She tried not to think about the fact that he could be dead. She kept imagining seeing him again in Falinesti and the life together they would finally have. By sunset, she felt worn out from both walking and worry. She sat down at the base of a tall tree and tried to rest. The light rain sprinkled down upon her, but she was already so soaked it didn't make any difference. She assumed she would not get any sleep being so cold, wet, and hungry, but her exhaustion took over. After awhile she finally dozed off to the sound of the rain.

Shortly after falling asleep Loac awoke to a sound coming from the tree above her. She gasped and looked up to see a man-sized shadow swinging through the branches. When she stood, two glowing orange eyes looked down at her.

"Who's there?" she said, with a tremble of fear in her voice.

"Pardon me, my lady. I didn't see you down there," said a deep baritone voice from above.

He swooped down from the branches, and looked at Loac with an expression of surprise and delight.

"My, my, you're an Altmer aren't you? It is such an honor to meet a woman of your noble and superior race," said the ape-like man. He bowed so low that his head touched the ground, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Galanil of Falinesti. If I may ask, what are you doing in the woods alone so late in the night? Are you lost?"

"A pleasure to meet you, good sir. I'm Loac. I was on my was to Falinesti with my fiance, but now I can't find him, and I'm not sure if I'm headed the right way," said Loac.

"You're in luck. I'm on my way there as well, and I would be honored to show you the way. Would you like me to carry your bag? Ah, I see you don't have one," said Lord Galanil, "Perhaps I can carry you?"

"Oh that's really not necessary," said Loac.

"Very well then. Off we go," said Lord Galanil bowing once more before leading the way to Falinesti.

His hairy orange ape-like arms swung through the trees with ease, while Loac walked below. She didn't know what to think of the strange man whose race she had never seen or heard of before, but she was grateful for his help. She found it odd that he bore an Altmer name, yet he was obviously not of the Altmer race. He looked more like an ape than a man, and was covered with long neatly combed bright orange fur, except for his chest and face. He wore a purple cloak, and loose-fitting pants, but no shoes or tunic. On his back he carried a brown sack filled with tree fruits that looked unfamiliar to Loac. He seemed to know where he was headed, and Loac decided she had no choice but to put her trust in this stranger.

A few miles away, Henantil stood outside the cave with a look of surprise. Had Loac and Falinir really been foolish enough to enter a cave unarmed? The dog led him inside, and Henantil cast a light spell on himself. The spell made his body emit a pale white glow to illuminate his way. After entering the first chamber of the cave, the dog began to whimper and pull back.

"Cowardly dog," muttered Henantil to himself, as he forcefully dragged the dog further into the cave against its will.

Henantil had to admit, he had an uneasy feeling about the cave as well. The place was eerie, and stunk of death. There were no sounds of rats or other cave dwelling animals. It was too quiet. The furniture scattered about the place looked antique and tattered, like it had been abandonned long ago. Henantil trudged onward, following the footprints that led farther back into the cave. The stalagtite-covered ceiling grew lower, and he had to hunch down before entering the final chamber of the cave. It was larger than the rest of the cave and the darkness prevented him from seeing the whole area, despite his light spell. The dog wimpered and pulled harder, finally freeing itself from Henantil's grasp. It bounded out of the cave like a pursued rabbit.

Henantil let it go. The dog had served its purpose. He knew Loac and Falinir had to be hiding in the dark cavern somewhere. It looked as if there were no other way out. He made his way to the center of the cavern room and squinted, trying to see. There were large rectangular crate-like boxes in crevices of the walls and all over the floor that they could be hiding behind. Henantil decided now was a good time to try out his new _detect life_ spell. He raised his hands and cast it hoping to see the purple glow emitted from Loac and Falinir. As soon as he cast the spell the whole room filled with a purple glow. There were at least a dozen people illuminated all around him within the crates. Now that light filled the room he could see what surrounded him were not storage crates at all. The rectangular boxes were coffins. The purple light coming from the sleeping vampires' bodies immediately woke them. Simulataneously the lids were pushed off of the coffins, and Henantil was surrounded by the coven of surprised vampires.

He cast destruction spells at them left and right, but they kept coming. The vampire blood within them made them far stronger than the Cathay-Raht bandits he had faced earlier. Despite the fact that most of them were dressed for sleep rather than battle, they were amazingly resilient. He was now in true danger. He managed to kill one of the vampires with a few blasts of fire, and take his steel shortsword. Swinging at them wildly with the sword in his right hand, he used his left hand to continue casting spells. He gasped in pain as a sword sliced open the side of his leg. While he turned to slay the vampire that had cut him, he felt another vampire grab him across the chest and penetrate his tender neck with her fangs. He felt blood being powerfully drained from his wound by the hungry vampire. As he swung his sword behind him and stabbed her, he staggered forward in pain, running out of the cave. The few surviving vampires tended to their wounds and did not pursue him. An odd sensation pulsed through Henantil's veins. He knew he had been infected with porphyric hemophilia. If he did not drink a cure-disease potion before falling asleep he'd wake as a vampire. He'd be doomed to a life in the shadows as a blood-drinking monster. There would be no hope of a cure then. He could not let himself fall asleep.

Henantil had already been without sleep for days, and he was lost in the vast forests of Valenwood without his scent-following dog. The chances of stumbling across a Bosmeri village and getting a cure potion in time looked unlikely. Despite his bleak chance of being cured, he tied a cloth around his leg wound and limped through the wet forest as fast as he could. Keeping his eyes open for fire-light, smoke, or roads, he looked for any sign of a nearby town. He didn't even notice in the darkness that he was passing Falinir, no more than 50 paces to his right. He continued onward until something moving caught his eye. In the trees above he saw a flash of orange. Stepping closer he realized it was an Imga, one of the native ape-people of Valenwood. Then what he saw next stopped him in his tracks. Trudging along behind the brightly colored Imga was Loac. Henantil had finally found her.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Loac. So nice to see you again," said Henantil with a smirk as he stepped from the shadows. He pointed his sword up at Galinil and said sternly, "Be gone, Imga."

Lord Galinil's eyes filled with fear at the look of the blade and he swiftly leapt away. He assumed that Henantil was the fiance Loac had spoken about and felt satisfied about reuniting them again. He couldn't wait to tell his friends in Falinesti of his noble deed.

"Cowardly Imga. They try so hard to be like us Altmer, but no matter how hard a moth tries it can never be a butterfly," laughed Henantil, "What were you doing with him anyway, and where is Falinir? Was Falinir not lowly enough for you? You left him for a beast?"

"He's dead. A vampire killed him. The Imga was just helping me," said Loac. Her eyes welled with tears at the thought that Falinir's death was probably a fact.

Henantil thought to himself for a moment. This time, it seemed like Loac could in fact be telling the truth. He had discovered her from a distance and she was definitely alone. Plus, there was the coven of vampires he had encountered while trailing Falinir's footprints. If Falinir were dead already, that was a serious problem for Henantil's plan. He'd have to find another way to convince Loac to return home. He obviously couldn't threaten to kill Falinir, since he was already dead. Dragging Loac home against her will wasn't an option either, as she'd continue to act insane in order to return to Valenwood. She had to _willingly_ want to go home. Henantil would have to choose his words carefully. This was his only chance to save himself from a life of permanent exile.

"If Falinir is dead, then there's nothing left for you here. Look at your tattered clothes. Let me help bring you back to the comforts of your home. Your Father misses you terribly. You don't want to spend the rest of your life alone in a hovel here," said Henantil with a feigned look of kindness.

"I would rather live a thousand years in poverty than let any harm come to my child," said Loac, "Besides I'm in exile. I announced my illegal pregnancy through the streets. Why do you even bother to try to bring me back?"

"You can claim you were under a spell and act normal again. Your father's reputation is at stake. Do you want him to lose his throne?" asked Henantil.

"I do care about my father, but answer is still no, and nothing you say will convince me otherwise," said Loac, "Tell him I'm sorry for any pain my actions have caused him, but I can't go back."

Loac still loved her father despite all that had transpired. She felt guilty for embarassing him, but it was the only way to save her child. She hoped he could forgive her someday.

Henantil's anger finally broke through and he raised his sword at her, "You'll come back with me or I'll kill your child!"

"My baby would be killed anyway, if I returned," said Loac.

"Then I'll kill you, if you don't come back!" shouted Henantil.

Loac held up her arms defensively and said, "I don't think that my father would be too pleased with you if you did that."

He lowered his sword. She was right. Killing her would not work. He was running out of options. He ran his hand through his windswept hair nervously and looked at her with both anguish and desperation. Finally, he reached out and held her hand. His voice wavered and he seemed close to tears as he pleaded with her, "Loac. I'm begging you. Your father will exile me forever if I don't bring you back. Please. Don't ruin my life. Don't ruin both of our lives. Come back to Summerset Isle with me. You've made a mess of things, but it's not too late to set it right."

"You think I'd be willing to sacrifice my child's life to save you from exile? Now I see why you're so desperate to bring me back. You aren't concerned about me or my father at all. You care only for yourself," replied Loac.

In the distance Falinir could hear the faint sound of a conversation. He turned himself invisible and silently went toward the source of the voices. He was dismayed to see Henantil had found Loac. He remained invisible in the distance and listened in on their conversation. Falinir had the element of surprise on his side, and would use it to save Loac at the right moment.

"Don't do this to me, Loac," begged Henantil. He winced as he felt the vampire's disease continuing to infect his body, "Falinir is dead. You don't want to raise a bastard child all on your own. You can have another child later with a proper Altmeri nobleman, and you won't even miss this one. A culler can carry out the act, and you need not even look upon the dead baby. Imagine going back to your life of priviledge and wealth like this pregnancy never happened at all. Imagine relaxing in your beautiful manor again, eating the finest foods and being attended by servants day and night."

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed an innocent baby for the convenience of gaining a more comfortable wealthy life. To do so would be just as selfish and evil as a murderer who kills in order to rob someone to gain wealth. It's killing an innocent person in order to have more money. Don't you see how evil that is? How such a thing ever became a part of our society I will never understand. I've never agreed with the practice of culling, and I never will," said Loac, "I love my child, and I'd die to protect him or her."

Henantil realized that nothing was going to convince Loac to return with him. She was obviously mentally ill beyond help. Why was Loac so against culling? Killing people was as natural to Henantil as eating or sleeping. He had killed so many people in his life he had lost count, and he didn't understand why Loac would be willing to destroy her status to save the life of another. It went against all that Henantil knew and understood about life. Yet her selfless words somehow touched him. He felt pity for her. This desperate woman willing to do anything to save her child, was something he had never seen before.

Henantil sighed and hung his head low. He had failed. He was doomed to live among unsophisticated churls for the rest of his life. A look of anger filled his eyes. He would not live like that. There was only one thing left he could do, to save himself from such a life.

"My life is ruined and it is all your fault," he said angrily.

Loac did not reply.

Henantil then raised his hand and charged a powerful spell. His hand glowed with the most powerful destruction spell Loac had ever seen. Her eyes filled with fear and she defensively covered her pregnant belly with her arms. Falinir began running towards Henantil, hoping to stop him before he attacked.

Henantil stepped back a few paces, and said, "Goodbye Loac."

He held his hand up and released the spell at his own head, ending his life. His lifeless body fell to the grassy ground just a few feet in front of both Loac and Falinir, and a dark cloud of smoke twirled upward from his charred head. Loac stared at the body in wide-eyed shock.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't broken the law..." said Loac to herself.

"It's not your fault Loac," said Falinir as he became visible again, "It was Henantil's own racism that killed him. He'd rather die than live with those he considered inferior."

"Falinir!" shouted Loac excitedly, "Oh, I've missed you so! I was afraid that vampire had killed you!"

"I've been worried about you too. I've been trying to find you since yesterday," said Falinir.

Loac looked down at Henantil's body. She felt sorry for him despite all he had done. Only guilt outweighed her sadness. Looking upon his charred face was too much for her to bear. She began crying. Falinir held her close. She truely was the kindest person he had ever met, to shed tears for the man who had caused them so much suffering. Falinir couldn't believe that Henantil had used his last words as a means of making such a selfless and innocent woman feel guilty over his death.

When Loac stopped crying, Falinir knelt down and dug through Henantil's pockets. He then turned Henantil's body over to get to his woolen bag. After untying the string, he opened the bag and looked inside it.

"Are you looting his body?" asked Loac in shock. She knew it was the practical thing to do, but something about digging through a corpse's pockets filled her with disgust.

"We need supplies," said Falinir matter-of-factly, "By the Nine Divines! I don't believe it!"

He pulled two ruby necklaces out of the bag and showed them to Loac.

"Our engagement necklaces! But how?" said Loac excitedly.

"He must have encountered the Cathay-Raht as well," said Falinir as he pulled out another item from the sack, "My shoes!"

"Why in the world did Henantil have your shoes with him?" asked Loac.

"I haven't the slightest idea," said Falinir as he put the shoes on his feet, "Oh, this is going to make the rest of the walk so much easier."

What Falinir wanted to find most of all was something to eat. He had been without food for days, and didn't have the strength to continue without it. Henantil's body would make a delicious meal for him normally, but Loac looked stricken enough from having witnessed Henantil's suicide. Falinir didn't want to upset her further by consuming Henantil in front of her.

"Ah, yes!" said Falinir as he retrieved a large cheese wedge from Henantil's sack and began eating it. After being without food for so long it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

"Forgive me," said Falinir, "Would you like some?"

"I'm not hungry at the moment," said Loac, still overwhelmed by what had just happened.

"It's late and we still have a long path ahead of us. We should rest," said Falinir.

They silently walked away from Henantil's body until it was out of view, and found a soft pile of freshly fallen leaves to sleep on. Loac held Falinir close, never wanting to lose him again. And for the first time in days Falinir slept without fear. Henantil was dead, and could never harm them again.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Loac and Falinir awoke late in the morning and continued onward after eating the last of the food from Henantil's sack. The rain had stopped during the night, and the wet foliage sparkled in the morning sun. The remainder of their trek through the forest was uneventful now that Henantil was no longer on their trail. By evening they reached the great tree city of Falinesti without incident.

The massive tree was the most incredible thing Loac had ever seen. When it first appeared within her view, she stood still in contemplation and awe of its beauty. The tree's top boughs stretched nearly a mile into the sky, and its enormous gnarled roots spread across the ground sprawling over the surrounding rivers like bridges. It was a dark silhouette in the blue evening sky, except for the hundreds of lights coming from the candlelit houses built throughout the canopy. Wooden platforms criss-crossed over the branches connecting them with precarious narrow streets. Baskets hanging from thick vines and ropes were being pulled by up and down the large trunk to transport people to and from the treetop city.

"What do you think of it?" asked Falinir with a smile.

"It's like something out of a fairytale. It's breathtaking," said Loac, "Even when you described it to me, I never imagined it would be so enormous."

They crossed the surrounding creeks over the tree root bridges. Falinir helped Loac across so she didn't lose her footing on the round uneven roots. As they approached the trunk, Loac walked past several homeless Bosmeri sitting in the refuse piled up on the ground. She had never seen a homeless person while living in Alinor. They were gathered around a fire eagerly roasting a small rat. Their thin bodies looked malnourished and she knew that rat wouldn't be able to feed all of them sufficiently. When the beggars noticed her, they stared as if they had never seen an Altmer before.

"Kind lady, can you spare a coin so I can git me a pair of shoes?" asked one of the beggars.

"Please, I'm only asking for enough to feed my children," asked another.

"I'm sorry," said Loac walking past them, "But I honestly have no money at the moment."

Falinir helped Loac into a table-sized basket and said to the men holding the pulley vine, "Middle bough, if you please. I need to get to the chieftain's palace."

The muscle-bound mer pulled hard on the vine, and hoisted the basket swiftly into the air. Loac watched the ground below get smaller and smaller as they travelled up the trunk of the enormous tree. When they started passing the houses on the lower branches Loac could see the roofs were made out of a carpet of bright green moss. It stretched out like a web across a whole cluster of residences. The people walking along the treetop walkways were dressed strangely to her. They were clad entirely in leather, bones, and fur. Some of them had colorful feathers sewn into their clothing as well. Many of the native Bosmer were dancing to fast lively music, and some were loafing in front of houses smoking green glass pipes. Loac found it interesting that all of the female Bosmer seemed to be almost a foot taller than the males. Among her own race, males were usually taller than females.

The basket slowed to a stop in the middle of the canopy where the tree's thick trunk split into two large branches. In the space between the two branches was the palace. It was not as large as her own manor, only about half the size, but Loac thought it looked charming nonetheless. It was built out of wood instead of stone, and lacked the symmetry and rigid perfection of the buildings she'd seen all her life in Alinor. Every building in Falinesti seemed as natural and unpredictable as the tree itself.

"I can't wait for you to meet my family," said Falinir as he led Loac up the wooden steps to the front door of the palace. He attempted to open the large wooden door, and a guard stepped in front of him.

"Sorry, the chieftain is done for the day," said the leather-clad guardsman, "Unless it's an emergency, you'll have to have an audience with him in the morning."

"You must not recognize me," said Falinir, "I'm the chieftain's son, Falinir."

The guardsman eyed Falinir's tattered filthy clothing with surprise and said, "I'm so sorry, Prince Falinir. I didn't recognize you. Please accept my apologies."

"Don't worry yourself about it," said Falinir. He opened the door for Loac, and stepped inside after her. The entry hall looked just as it did eleven years earlier when he left for Summerset Isle. A Bosmer clad in fine intricately woven leather bounded down the stairs to see who the late visitor was.

"Thamir!" shouted Falinir with a grin to his elder brother.

"Falinir? Is that really you? By Y'ffre, what happened to you?" asked Thamir with concern.

"It's a long story," said Falinir, "But first, allow me to introduce my bride-to-be. Her name is Loac."

Thamir glanced up at Loac, and seemed amused by her tall height.

"Loac is it? A pleasure to meet you" said Thamir heartily, "Congratulations, brother!"

"Thank you," said Falinir with a nod of his head.

"Haha! What's this?" said Thamir as he rubbed the top of Falinir's head, where Falinir had the beginnings of a bald spot, "Looks like you'll be as bald as Father in a few years!"

"Hopefully not that soon!" laughed Falinir.

A door opened across the hall and an older Bosmeri couple entered. The lady wore a dress made of fine pale blue silk, and her husband wore an imported tunic and brown leather pants. On his head was a crown made of gold and feathers. He looked like Falinir, only older and balding on top.

The female mer gasped, "Falinir?"

"Mother! Father!" said Falinir, "I've missed you so."

"What a great surprise! You didn't tell us you were planning to visit!", said Chieftain Ghenorn, "It seems like you've had a rough journey though from the looks of your clothing."

"I'll tell you all about it, but first I need to sit and have a bite to eat. We've walked all the way from Anvil on foot," said Falinir.

"On foot? My Gods, what have you been through? Come, sit down in the dining hall. We're still in the middle of supper," said Falinir's mother.

They sat around the large dinner table, and a servant immediately placed fresh grilled fish and roast mutton on their silver plates.

"Mmm.. I've missed the taste of grellerfish. They don't have it in Summerset Isle," said Falinir.

"Who is your lady friend?" asked Falinir's mother.

"Mother, Father, allow me to introduce Loac, my fiancee," said Falinir.

Loac blushed and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Fiancee? Falinir, as a prince you are supposed to..." began his father.

"Loac is a princess," said Falinir, "She's the daughter of the High Wizard King Warundil, the ruler of Alinor."

"Is that so?" said Chieftain Ghenorn with a proud smile, "Well, congratulations and welcome to the family Loac! Falinir, you must really have made a good impression upon the High Wizard for him to let you wed his daughter. Attitudes must be changing in Summerset Isle these days."

"We didn't exactly have his blessing," said Falinir sheepishly.

"Oh Falinir, don't tell me you've run off with the High King's daughter," said his mother.

"She is with child," replied Falinir.

Thamir laughed and said, "Falinir, you dog! Couldn't wait till the marriage?"

Chieftain Grenorn wore a serious expression, and Falinir's brother quieted his laughter.

"Let me explain everything," said Falinir, and he recounted the whole tale of how he met Loac, how Warundil intended to kill him and their child, his escape from the torture chamber, the pirate attack, their journey through the forest, and Henantil's suicide. As Falinir finished, his father sat back in his chair with a look of contemplation.

"You've ruined your career, you know," said Ghenorn, "The silvenar will never let you work for him again."

"I know," said Falinir.

"But despite all of that, I'm happy to have you home. Although I was proud of you for your ambassadorship, I've always missed having you here and hoped you would return home one day," said Ghenorn, "When would you like the wedding to take place?"

"As soon as possible," said Falinir.

After dinner, Loac and Falinir stood alone on the high balcony of the palace, and looked out at the magnificent city.

"My parents are disappointed in me," said Falinir with a heavy sigh, "I know they wouldn't ever say it, but I could see it in their faces. I was always the well-behaved one, studious and hard-working. I've given them quite a shock tonight."

"They seemed happy to have you home," said Loac, "I don't think they're disappointed at all, just surprised."

"I don't know. Perhaps you're right," said Falinir, "I should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, my love. Tomorrow I'll show you the rest of the city."

Falinir held Loac's head and kissed her lips softly. He stroked her cheek as their lips parted.

"Goodnight," said Loac with a smile as she continued to gaze in awe at the foreign and beautiful city around her.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Loac awoke to the sound of a flock of large noisy birds outside the wooden palace window. She was laying in the oversized bed of a large room intended for foreign guests. While the local Bosmeri mostly slept in leather woven hammocks, she was glad that they provided a comfortable normal bed for guests like herself. A new Altmer-sized orange dress hung on a hook in an open closet that hadn't been there when she fell asleep. No doubt the chieftain had ordered a servant to sew it for her during the night.

She washed herself with cold water from a bucket and slipped on the new dress. The clean silk felt comfortable against her freshly washed skin. She put her old blue dress in a colorful basket which she assumed was for laundry.

When she stepped down to the dining hall, she saw Falinir already seated and enjoying a meal with his mother. His clothes were new as well, and in the traditional Bosmeri style of soft leather and furs. He seemed so relaxed and comfortable to be in his native clothing once more.

"Come Loac, please join us," said his mother, as she gestured toward an empty chair.

Loac seated herself and perused the food laid out before her. There were a variety of bird eggs, an unfamiliar meat, and some sort of milk pudding arranged across the middle of the table. She helped herself to the food, heaping it on her plate. The eggs were a bit undercooked for her liking, but they still tasted fine. The "pudding" was unsweetened, and reminded her more of cheese or cream than a dessert. The meat tasted like wild game bird. The food in Valenwood was edible, but not exactly good. Loac only ate about half of what she had served herself.

"Do you like the food?" asked Falinir as he greedily filled his plate with a second helping.

"It's different, but good," said Loac politely as she ate another bite.

"That's great! I knew you'd love rat once you tasted it," said Falinir.

"What?" said Loac looking suspiciously at her meat.

"I'm joking," laughed Falinir, "It's rhana bird."

Loac smirked back at him, "Very funny."

"Would you like to see the rest of the city today?" asked Falinir.

"I'd love to," replied Loac.

"When you return, I'll have the seamstress meet with you to discuss your wedding dress", said Falinir's mother, "I can't wait to see how lovely you two will look in your wedding clothes."

Loac smiled, and said "I look forward to it," as she wiped her hands and followed Falinir to the door.

Falinir lead her across dozens of wooden walkways showing her every inch of the unique tree city. The city was wild, unplanned, and had walkways criss-crossing in every direction. Everywhere she went the Bosmeri people stared at her like she was something they'd never seen. The only other races that seemed to reside in the city were a few Orcs and Imga. The local Imga population didn't own houses, but prefered the branches of the tree itself as their home. As they walked under a branch covered with seated Imga, a familiar face swung down to greet Loac.

"Lady Loac! I'm so happy to see you arrived here safely. But where is that fiance of yours?" asked Lord Galinil, "You haven't lost him again I hope?"

"He's right here," said Loac, and she reached out to grab Falinir's hand.

"What? Oh, you joke with me! Where is the handsome Altmer you were with in the forest?" asked Galinil.

"That was man not my fiance," said Loac frowning.

Galinil looked at Falinir with an expression of shock, and said, "Surely a lady of your superior race deserves better than him. Why I would gladly slay a thousand beasts to be with a woman like you."

Galinil bowed low to the ground before Loac, and laid his cape before her feet.

"I really don't think my race makes me superior to anyone. Good day," said Loac as she walked away leaving Lord Galinil with a confused look on his face.

"When did you meet an Imga?" asked Falinir, "You know, I think they consider Altmer to be almost gods. That's why they take on Altmeri names."

Loac sighed and said, "I wish they would stop staring at me."

Their walk around the city lasted a few hours. Loac delighted in seeing all of the differences between Falinesti and her homeland. It seemed that everywhere she glanced there was something new and amazing she had never seen before. Her feet ached but she was enjoying the city so fully that she didn't mind. The hot afternoon sun baked the treetop in a humid heat, and small insects buzzed around in the sticky air.

"It's getting quite hot," said Falinir, "Let's head on back to the palace for a drink, my love."

Loac agreed and they walked back along the rickety wooden walkways to the Chieftain's palace. After a glass of cool water and a bite to eat, Falinir's mother had wisked Loac upstairs to have her fitted for a wedding gown.

The seamstress was standing next to a variety of folded cloth and dress patterns in a brightly lit room. She held a long leather strap with cut lines in it used for measuring. Loac stood still as the seamstress measured her Loac from head to toe, writing down measurements with a quill. Loac was used to dress fittings back in Alinor.

"So, what did you have in mind? A nice silk imported pattern?" asked the seamstress.

"We can import dress material from the Summerset Isles if you wish," added Falinir's mother.

"What about that?" asked Loac, pointing to a drawn pattern for a traditional Bosmeri wedding dress with ornate colorful furs and jewels.

"You want a Bosmer wedding dress?" asked the seamstress with a look of surprise and delight.

"I think it's beautiful," said Loac, "So colorful and different."

Falinir's mother smiled at the decision of her soon-to-be daughter.

Less than a month later the wedding went forward as planned. The ceremony was held in the palace instead of the temple. Loac had wanted the ceremony to be held in the beautiful temple, but the priests and priestesses had to sadly deny her request. At the temple of Y'ffre only those who have sworn to follow the Green Pact and have dutifully followed it for at least two years are permitted to enter the temple or be wed there. As much as Loac wanted to fit in, she still couldn't quite commit to living without eating any plant produce for the rest of her life by following the Green Pact.

The ceremony was attended by nearly every one in the city, not just because it was a royal wedding, but also because they wanted to see with their own eyes a wedding between a Bosmer and an Altmer. Loac's face was practically glowing with delight. She had finally married the man she loved. Not only was it legal, but the crowds cheered for them. It was the most wonderful day of Loac's life.

Falinir looked at Loac's happy face and felt happy as well. It seemed that she would adjust to living in Falinesti just fine. He looked forward to spending the years with her, not having to hide his affection. Perhaps they might even bear more children in the future and travel to all of the most beautiful places in Valenwood together. The future seemed brighter than ever that day.

After their wedding, Loac and Falinir moved into a large home near the palace. They placed two bow-carrying guards on the roof above the door for protection, though their fears were less now that Henentil was dead. Falinir began his work on the elder council of the city, and they lived comfortably, enjoying married life. Loac's belly grew larger with each passing month. She was excited to know the birth of their child would happen in only a few weeks. A midwife stayed at her side and attended to her needs as the days grew nearer.

Down in the lower section of the town a very tall Altmeri man dressed all in black sat down at a tavern. He quietly ordered a drink and began talking to the bartender. After he got the information he seeked, he headed to the basket that would take him to the mid-section of town near the palace.

Loac reclined on her bed as she read a book. The stars were begining to shine outside and she could see their twinkling lights through the window and leaves. Falinir was at a late meeting of the elder council and she was waiting for him to return home. She had grown accustomed to sleeping next to him, and now couldn't fall asleep without him by her side.

Suddenly she heard a noise outside. She looked out her second storey window and was suddenly face-to-face with a strange Altmer man dressed in black. Her scream startled him and he jumped down from the tree limb he had been perched on. Within a second, he had disappeared down a small back street leading behind the palace.

Falinir was just arriving home when he heard Loac's scream. He flung open the door and ran upstairs to Loac's bedroom. The midwife was already by Loac's side consoling her.

"What happened?" asked Falinir.

"There was a man outside my window. I think it was Henantil!" said Loac.

Falinir ran to the window and looked outside. He saw nothing but dark branches and stars.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Henantil is dead. It must have been someone else," said Falinir.

"But who?" said Loac.

"I don't know," said Falinir, "I don't believe there are any Altmeri living in the city. I'll go on up and ask the guards if they saw anything."

Falinir tugged at the knotted cord that released the ladder to the roof. The startled guards put down their bottles of liquor and stood to greet Falinir.

"Evenin' Sirrrr," said one of the guards in a drunken slur. His breath stunk of cheap rotmeth.

Falinir grimaced, "Did either of you see an intruder just now? An Altmer, perhaps?"

The guards' eyes widened with surprise and they looked around, bows in hand. Falinir sighed at the stupidity of the guards and said, "He's already gone. Next time, skip the liquor and stick to your post. Don't force me to hire new guards."

"My apologies, Sir," said one of the guards, "It won't 'appen again."

As Falinir stepped back down the into the house he muttered under his breath. He hung his coat on a hook and joined Loac's side. For the first time since Henantil's death she looked afraid.

"You have nothing to worry about. Whomever it was has run away. If he were here to harm you, he would have done so," said Falinir as he stroked Loac's hair calmly.

He walked to the window, and closed the shutters, latching them tightly. Falinir then slipped into his nightclothes, and joined Loac for sleep.

The next day, Falinir inquired around the city to find out if anyone else had seen an Altmeri man dressed in black. It wasn't long before he found out that the man did in fact exist. Yet, strangely, he disappeared from the city as quickly as he had come. There was no trace of him other than the words of a few people who had seen him the day before. It was enough to bring fear to Falinir's heart. He wondered if perhaps Loac's father had sent another assassin after him or his unborn child. The man could be waiting in hiding until their child's birth. The thought of it sent a chill down Falinir's spine.

Several days went by without any sign of the mysterious Altmer, and while the concerns about that man stayed in the back of Falinir's thoughts at all times, at the front of his mind now was the upcoming birth of his first child. Loac was full term, and could go into labor at any moment. She spent most of her time relaxing in a comfortable chair and reading local literature, while the midwife tended to her needs. Loac enjoyed the refreshing literary style of the Bosmeri authors. The stories were very different than the books she had read back in Alinor. It was a great way to pass the time and keep off of her feet.

Though she loved her new home in Falinesti, from time to time she did reminisce about the city of her birth. She wondered what had become of her father. She often felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he'd lost his dignity and possibly his throne due to her indiscretions. She hoped that someday he could forgive her.

As she turned the page of her latest book suddenly she felt a strong dull pain in her abdomen. It lasted for a short time then went away. As the pain returned again and again, growing in intensity, she realized the day had finally come. She was going to see her child for the first time.

"Annagil!" called Loac to her midwife, "I think I have the pains of labor."

The stout pale Bosmeri woman rushed to Loac's side and said, "Shall I go bring your husband? He just left for the Elder Council not a moment ago."

The pain of a new contraction caused Loac's voice to waver as she grunted, "Yes."

Annagil bounded down the stairs and out the door to catch Falinir before he could reach the council chambers. She finally caught up with him outside the large council door, sipping from a warmed rhana eggshell and talking to a few other members of the Elder Council. From the look of urgency on her face, Falinir immediately knew what it meant.

"Sir, it's time for the baby to be born," said the midwife, slightly out of breath from her run.

A smile crossed Falinir's face as the fellow council members patted him on the back and congratulated him. He walked briskly with the midwife up along the wooden plank trail that stretched hundreds of feet above the ground below. The trail curved around the massive trunk and passed over a large mossy branch. As it curved around another protruding branch they were suddenly faced by a tall elegantly dressed man. Looking up into the man's face, Falinir saw it was none other than Warundil, Loac's father. Falinir nearly fell back from the shock.

"Ambassador Falinir," said Warundil calmly, "The wretch who destroyed my life."

"I've done nothing of the sort," said Falinir.

"You cost me my throne, you little runt," said Warundil, "I'd hardly call that nothing! Where is Loac in this hovel of a city? Has the child been born yet? My spy said she was living near here."

"What are you planning to do?" said Falinir, "She's a grown woman, free to live her own life. Just let us raise our child in peace. We've never meant you any harm. Just leave, and you'll never have to see us or hear from us again."

Warundil stared down at Falinir with a lip curled in disgust and said, "Oh, I'll make sure I never have to see you again."

Swift as a whip, Warundil's hand shot out from under his long silken robe and emitted a spell knocking Falinir backwards. The fire spell didn't harm him due to his amulet, but it was so powerful it pushed him back like a hard punch. The midwife screamed and ran off toward the house as Falinir was struck again and pushed over the edge of the perilous treetop walkway. The wind whipped through his long black hair as he tumbled headfirst through the sky's thick morning fog. Falinir stretched out his arms, desperate for anything to latch onto to save himself from the death that was certain to come. With sheer luck his hand reached a thick rope of one of the lower level lifts, and he skidded slowly down to the basket at the bottom, landing between two elderly Bosmeri women. One of the women was gasped with fright and covered her face.

"Pardon me, ladies", said Falinir with a nod, as he looked down at the reddish rope burn on his hand. The lift slowly pulled him up to the lower level of the city, and he ran as fast as his short legs would carry him to the next lift that would bring him to the level of his home. Unfortunately, it was on the other side of the city.

Meanwhile, Warundil followed the midwife as she foolishly led him straight to the house while fleeing. Warundil calmly fired magic from both of his hands simultaneously, killing the two half-asleep guards before they even saw him coming. With another blast he struck down the midwife as her hand reached for the door handle. He pulled her charred dead hand off the door handle and entered the house, closing the door behind him.

"Falinir, is that you?" called Loac from upstairs when she heard the door close.

"Hello, Loac," replied her father.

"What?" shouted Loac, "Father?"

Despite the pain of labor she pulled herself out of bed and trudged down the steps.

"What... what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I see you're about to give birth. That certainly brings back memories. Did I ever tell you the story of your name?" asked Warundil with a smile.

Loac looked confused by her father's odd words and slowly replied, "My name means thirty in the old Altmer tongue. It's an ancient custom to use a number as a name. I've known that since I was a child."

"Ah, but do you know why your mother and I named you 'thirty' in particular?" asked Warundil with a cold stare.

Loac whispered, "No," as she sat in a chair and began breathing through another painful contraction, "What is all this about?"

"You see, as High Wizard and High Wizardress, we sought to have the perfect child. I know there are laws in effect to protect our race from imperfection by culling those babies that don't live up to Altmeri standards. Those standards are a bit weak in my opinion. Your mother and I wanted our heir to live up to higher standards, and so we tried and tried again. Although the cullers said the babies were good enough to keep, we killed them by our own hands. We didn't want 'good enough'. We wanted perfection for our heir. Finally, your mother was pregnant with her 30th child, but there were complications with the birth. She began bleeding badly, and didn't survive the delivery. You were born the moment I lost the one true love of my life," said Warundil.

"You mean I had twenty-nine brothers and sisters, and you killed them all? That's horrible!" said Loac with shock.

"I'm sure you can understand it was the right thing to do, rather than to bring an imperfect heir to the throne," said Warundil calmly.

Loac replied angrily, "So I was the only perfect one in your eyes? And they all had to die so you could have me as the heir?"

Warundil laughed and said, "The culler told me you were barely good enough to keep by typical Altmeri standards. You were nowhere near the perfection I wanted in an heir. However, when I looked into your eyes as I was about to cull you, I was reminded of your mother, and in a moment of weakness I decided to keep you. It was a foolish sentimental mistake. Now I'm going to do what I should have done the day you were born!"

Warundil raised his hand in anger and said, "Goodbye, Loac."

"Father, no!" shouted Loac.

The extremely powerful fire spell knocked Loac back and burned the large chair to ashes. She clambored to her feet and shuffled out the door, screaming for help. Warundil assumed his spell had struck the chair by mistake and he followed Loac outside and down the walkway. He walked calmly toward her, chuckling to himself to see her struggling and limping away while in labor. He raised his hand and she gasped and ducked out of the way. The spell struck the walkway ahead of Loac and burnt away her only means of escape. There was no way to jump over the burnt gaping hole. Warundil walked up to the edge of the walkway where Loac stood defenseless. He looked down at his daughter and raised his hand. Suddenly, they heard a crackling sound, as the damaged walkway broke under their weight. Loac grabbed onto a wood plank, wrapping her arm around it, and Warundil slid off the edge screaming as he fell. His body shattered lifeless on the earth below. Within moments his body was surrounded by the starving beggars. Smiles and cheers erupted from them as they hoisted him up and started a large cooking fire.

Up above, Loac felt her thin arm slipping. The weight of her nine-month pregnant body was too much to pull up on her own. She screamed for help as her arm slipped more, and suddenly felt the warm grip of a hand around her wrist. Another hand grabbed her and began pulling her up. Falinir and another Bosmeri man pulled with all their might, and slowly brought Loac back onto the walkway. She fell into Falinir's arms in tears. Looking down at her dead father far below, she said a prayer and asked the gods to forgive him. Falinir wrapped his arm around her waist, and helped her walk slowly back to the house and onto her bed. Loac's labor lasted throughout the rest of the day. Falinir stayed by her side constantly and comforted her through the pain. As the sun set in the pale sky, she began to push.

Late that warm clear evening, a baby girl was born- half-Altmer and half-Bosmer, never judged or measured by a culler, and completely loved by her parents just the way she was.

The end.

Thanks for reading!

- Lisa Colver


End file.
